Ikea turns time into money

The large Ikea stores tend to be located outside major cities, as is the case in New York, Dubai, Madrid, Tokyo and Sydney, among others. In Switzerland, there are currently nine locations and two pickup points, some of which are rather close to each other. This means that various customers in this country, as elsewhere, sometimes have to travel long distances to reach the nearest store.

As part of the opening of a second location in Dubai last December, Ikea and Ogilvy Dubai wanted to give customers something back for their time spent, as well as offer a stronger incentive to make the trip in the first place. Customers were asked at check-out whether they wanted to pay for their products in money or time. Google Maps Timeline was then used to determine how much credit they had. A billy shelf was available for the equivalent of just under two hours of travel time; five minutes could buy a hot dog. Those who wanted a blue tote bag paid with two minutes of their time. The conversion of time into money was based on the average family income in the respective country.