Success today has not come without compromises. If you are going to be the world’s best furnishings company, you have to show you can succeed in America, because there is so much to learn here. Whereas IKEA’s universal approach had worked well in Europe, the U.S. market proved to be different. In some cases, European products conflicted with American tastes and preferences. For example, IKEA did not sell matching bedroom suites that consumers wanted. Kitchen cupboards were too narrow for the large dinner plates needed for pizza. Some Americans were buying IKEA’s flower vases for glasses.