The Value Shift of IKEA in the Context of Consumer Society Transformation: The Mechanism of Symbolic Premium in DIY Furniture Processes

Business School, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China

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Abstract

Under the background of the transformation of the consumer society, this study, based on Baudrillard’s three-value theory and symbolic value theory, adopts case studies and textual discourse analysis to construct a three-stage value transformation model. Research findings show that DIY progresses step by step through three stages: selection, assembly, and display. In the selection stage, cognitive labor is invested to pre-embed symbolic value. In the assembly stage, physical and emotional labor is invested to generate the “IKEA effect”, achieving the transformation from use value to symbolic value. In the display stage, social labor is invested to achieve symbolic value - completing the accumulation and fundamental transformation of value. Ikea has adopted a triple strategy of brand narrative, product design and community operation to incorporate the consumer labor system into brand assets and create a social distinction between “production-oriented consumers” and “purchase-oriented consumers”. However, DIY is essentially a trap of consumerism. Brands transfer the production labor that should be done by factories to consumers, making them pay for a “false sense of satisfaction”. This study provides brands with learnable premium paths while helping consumers understand the symbolic meaning behind free labor.