Canadians' homes a place for life's simple pleasures
People across the nation love creating comfortable havens, Ikea survey finds
Putting the chaos of the past four years behind them, Canadians are finding joy in the simplicity of being at home.
That's a key finding from the 2023 Ikea Life at Home report, which includes insights from more than 1,000 Canadians coast to coast to help unpack how people live in this country and what's top of mind here. The report marks the 10th anniversary of the retailer's unique quantitative study, which connected with 37,000 people in 38 countries.
“I think it's really exciting that we're moving from the last few years where the findings were around the house has to do everything,” said Ikea Canada home furnishings director Carmen Ciesielski, alluding to the fact that many people were working, learning and socializing from home during the pandemic.
“It's nice to see that now we're taking a little bit more time to relax, maybe do nothing and just enjoy the simple pleasures of home,” she said.
In fact, one in two Canadians say home is their favourite place to be. Why? Because it's somewhere they can be mindful of their physical and mental well-being (34 per cent), enjoy hugs with a loved one (35 per cent) or laugh with one another (34 per cent).
They're also prioritizing a good night's sleep at home, with one in three people looking to develop good habits such as finding the right temperature, lighting and comfort.
“This report is really about listening and getting into the homes of our customers, taking some action and meeting them with the types of things they need to create a better life for themselves,” said Ciesielski, noting that Ikea Canada is using the data to more products focused on sleep and wellness essentials, for example.
Not surprisingly, affordability continues to be top of mind in Canada, with 45 per cent of participants expressing concern about their finances and disposable income. Nearly one in three (27 per cent) reported feeling a loss of control when they lack the resources to properly care for their home.
In response, Ikea Canada is investing more than $80 million on lowering prices on more than 1,500 products in Canada throughout 2024. “We know the cost of living and affordability is more important than ever to Canadians,” said Ciesielski. “We're committed to being an affordable home furnishings retailer that has something for everyone.”
After a four-year hiatus, Ikea Canada is relaunching its Canadian home visit program this spring, with more than 300 in-person or virtual visits expected. The program targets a mix of housing types, living situations and demographics, helping the retailer to develop market-specific campaigns.
For example, when the company launched in Halifax, data showed that people living there love collecting mementoes. Ikea Canada responded by providing solutions for how to display those collections. Similarly, the company emphasized smart solutions for hallway storage when the data indicated most people used secondary entrances without closets when arriving home.
“We really do take the data and sift through it to find commonalities and where the greatest pain points are,” said Ciesielski.