Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
IKEA invites customers to its loyalty program with meatball-scented candles
Meatball lovers can now have their homes smelling of their favourite dish. Apart from enticing IKEA fans to sign up for the loyalty program, it may also urge them to visit the store to enjoy their favourite dish.
When IKEA opened its first store in India in 2018, many, who had frequented its stores abroad, were stunned by the absence of the Swedish meatballs in its cafeteria menu. Keeping religious sentiments in mind, IKEA had replaced them with chicken meatballs.
Such is the love for the iconic dish that some reports suggest that IKEA sells about one billion meatballs worldwide every year. In response to that love, the home furnishing brand has now launched a limited edition Swedish meatball-scented candle. IKEA will be gifting it to its loyalty program members as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.
The company recently announced that it will include a Huvudroll candle (named after the dish) in the ‘Store in a Box’ gift created for the 10th anniversary of IKEA's loyalty program. The box will contain a limited edition collection of all of the most sensory experiences of going to IKEA. While the other merchandise in the box remains a surprise for the customers, the meatball candle in itself is quite a lure.
This is expected to get more people to sign up for the loyalty program, called IKEA family, as only the members can win the candle. Apart from the box hamper, the program will also get them access to special deals and products, between August 6 and 22. While only 986 members will win the box, another 1,925 runners-up will still receive the candle.
In an interview on IKEA’s website, Michael la Cour, managing director of IKEA Food Services, said, “We sell more meatballs than any other IKEA product in the range.” This explains the popularity of the dish, and also why the brand is using it to market its loyalty program.
With these candles, Huvudroll lovers can have their homes smelling of their favourite dish. Apart from enticing IKEA fans to sign up for the loyalty program, this may also serve another purpose - the smell may induce cravings to have those meatballs, thus urging them to visit the store.
IKEA India shared an Instagram post on Thursday (August 5) asking customers to sign up for the IKEA Family program, but it did not promise any gift box. Looks like IKEA India fans will have to wait until they can travel abroad to smell the Swedish meatballs once again.