Sustainable
A little creative effort can cut costs considerably, for us as consumers in the case of IKEA, but the same is true for me as a vendor. It’s a chain of sustainability, that links us together.
More and more IKEA shops are opening in Tokyo, and as a lover of interior design shops, I check them out frequently. Some of the things I bought at IKEA this year are desk light ¥1,499, side table and stool ¥3,999, bathroom waste bin ¥1,499, photo frame ¥599, vase (1) ¥79, vase (2) ¥199, jug ¥799, spray bottle ¥499, pillow ¥999, and a small stand ¥399.
The reasonable price makes it easy to customize, and I am very happy with the vases and the spray bottle, which I painted with a gold oil-based pen to match the decor of my room.
I bought the stool because my old one was wobbly. IKEA products require some assembly, but I like doing it myself. I put it together in 30 minutes. It is very solid and be durable up to 100 kg.
I bought a little stand to put in a dead space in my kitchen. I thought it was going to be a simple four-screw job, but after 30 minutes I couldn’t do it.
I checked the online shopping reviews and found many complaints about the “screws”. On the other hand, there was also information that the screws were fixed with an electric drill. This means that I need to put more pressure on the screw than I think. I put a cushion under the stand to hold it and turned the screw vertically from the top with a lot of pressure and it stopped.
That’s why IKEA is so reasonable. There’s a bit of self-assembly involved, and that’s how costs are cut. It was at IKEA that I first heard the word sustainable.
”I read in your newsletter that the reason why the price of your 1D1U kit is so reasonable, is because it is a ‘company effort’, and that’s true! The novelty this time is dried flowers in glass. My children and I were impressed by that. The captain can make anything.”
Pearl Plus Inc. is also sustainable. If I do as much as I can on my own, I don’t have to pay for the labor, and also I make my life sustainable, I can offer my customers a fair price. And it is the way of thinking that has made my business sustainable for 15 years.