The group is primarily known for its modernist furniture designs, simple approach to interior design, and its immersive shopping concept, based around decorated room settings within big-box stores, where customers can interact with products onsite. In addition, the firm is known for its attention to cost control and continuous product development, notably, the ready-to-assemble model of furniture sales, and other elements which have allowed IKEA to establish lower prices than its competitors.
As of September 2023[update], there are 482 IKEA stores operating in 63 countries[15] and in fiscal year 2018, €38.8billion (US$45.82billion) worth of IKEA goods were sold.[16] For multiple reasons, including lowering taxes payable, IKEA uses a complicated corporate structure. Within this structure, all IKEA stores are operated under franchise from Inter IKEA Systems B.V. which handles branding, design, manufacturing, and supply. Another part of the IKEA group, Ingka Group, operates the majority of IKEA stores as a franchisee and pays royalties to Inter IKEA Systems B.V.[17][18] Some IKEA stores are also operated by independent franchises.[19] The IKEA website contains about 12,000 products and there were over 2.1billion visitors to IKEA's websites in the year from September 2015 to August 2016.[20][21]