1. Has IKEA taken a standardization approach or an adaptation approach in its markets around the world? Do you think the company's approach is the right one for the future? Explain.
2. Which retailers are IKEA's biggest competitors in the United States? Why?
3. When company founder Kamprad decided to expand into China, his decision was not based on market research but, rather, on his own intuition. How well is IKEA doing in China? Did Kamprad's decision pay off?
4. After failing in Japan two decades earlier, IKEA returned in 2006. Conduct some research into how IKEA fared the second time around in Japan. Was IKEA able to avoid the mistakes it made in its first failed attempt?