Kranz On Copy: Insights and answers on copywriting and writing copy

In November, I wrote about my aborted attempt to shop at Ikea on the first weekend after the store opened in Stoughton, MA. Last week, my wife and I successfully made the adventure.

Yup, I was impressed. When we entered the store, we were greeted by an employee who explained the system (look at furniture in the show room, pick it up in the warehouse below) and handed us maps and pencils to record the necessary location info. By the time we arrived, they had run out of maps in English; we got one in Spanish, which was modestly more helpful than Swedish.

The show rooms were well-lit, well-organized and, though crowded, comfortable and free of any unwelcome sales pressure. The furniture itself is a great value -- intelligently designed at terrific prices. We bought four bookcases, a comfy chair for my office, and a cart-load of miscellaneous tchotchkes.

The cafeteria was a pleasant surprise: healthy, tasty food, such as cold seafood salad, Swedish meatballs and chicken marsala, at exceptionally reasonable prices (my poached salmon, with purple potatoes and steamed vegetables, was just $5.95).

Faults? The carts take some getting used to, as all four wheels, front and back, swivel; with heavy loads, inertia drives the cart sideways when you attempt a clean turn -- I nearly took out a rack of wine glasses.

As a consumer, I'd say Ikea lives up to the hype. As a marketer, I'm impressed at how they've leveraged their Swedishness to their advantage; instead of toning it down to "fit" an American audience, they use it (in product names, design qualities and promo signage throughout the store) to brand themselves as something different, something you can't get anywhere else.

No, Ikea won't replace Jordan's; Ikea's furniture is best for storage, kid's rooms and other areas where you want cheap ways to make limited space work. For more durable and elegant furniture, you'll probably consider other options. But in its own niche, Ikea rules.