IKEA packs an entire store into a 10.5cm x 8.8cm web banner

IKEA's "smallest store in the world" fits into the space of a web banner, allowing customers to browse 2,800 products just by hovering their mouse over the mini store.

Swedish home products retailer IKEA has appeared on our virtual pages many a time, and recently we found cause to cover it again. The innovation this time? Something the company calls “the smallest store in the world” — namely, an entire IKEA store packed into a 10.5cm x 8.8cm web banner. “With city populations on the rise, living spaces have become increasingly limited,” the company explains. “IKEA believes that no matter how cramped your space, there’s always a solution.” To demonstrate that belief, the company — generally known for its oversized retail spaces — has packed a full store with 2,800 products into the space of a small web banner. Shoppers who visit the diminutive store by hovering their mouse over it can then browse by department, choose what they want, and buy it online. “We targeted people looking for studio flats as well as one/two bedroom apartments by placing our tiny stores in the real estate section of community websites,” IKEA notes. The video below explains the concept in more detail: Who says there’s no room left for innovation in the retail world? Certainly not us — particularly when that innovation can span the online and offline worlds. Brands around the globe: be inspired!