The Psychological Power of IKEA’s $1 Cinnamon Rolls

The endings of customer experiences matter a whole lot more than most people think.  

There are two places you can buy food in IKEA stores : 

• The main restaurant, usually located on the middle floor

• A small cafe beside the checkout area

The restaurant sells full meals, while the small cafe sell cheap, sweet treats - like IKEA’s famous $1 cinnamon rolls and ice cream.

These small cafes might seem like an afterthought, but they’re a masterclass in using buyer psychology - knowingly or not - to drive sales.

But why does a tiny cafe have such a big impact? 

It’s down to a principle called the Peak-End Rule. 

It says that we judge and remember an experience based on two points - the emotional peak, and the end (not the average of every single moment).

⁠And if an experience flubs the ending, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the experience (or even the product) was…it ruins the whole thing.

The last thing you do in an IKEA store is pay for your items.

And if the store is doing its job, you might be shocked by how much you spent.

But instead of leaving customers with emotional sticker shock, IKEA gives them a place to enjoy a small treat.

And even if a customer doesn’t buy something, the smell of cinnamon rolls and ice cream can help soften the emotional blow of overspending.

The Peak-End Rule comes up a lot in my Choice Hacking Pro community and in my one-on-one coaching with business owners and marketers.

Most of my clients come to me relieved to not get a bad review, or happy that a client seemed happy at the end of a project…

But they don’t actively design their endings.

Once we start injecting Peak-End into their business, they quickly realize how effective it is in generating repeat sales and good word of mouth. 

If you want to use Peak-End in your business, the best place to start is by asking yourself: 

• “What do the “endings” of my offers and products look like?”

• “Do I have a plan to make the end of my buyer’s experience memorable?”

While Peak-End works with all types and sizes of businesses, how you apply it for maximum impact comes down to your specific brand, industry, business, and buyer. 

That’s the work we do inside of Choice Hacking Pro (now full) and my one-on-one coaching: 

Perfecting your endings and emotional peaks so that you can 2x your marketing effectiveness (to get sales and profit on the path to 2x, too).

Until next time,
Jen

PS. This week marks the 5th anniversary of my book, “Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings.”

In celebration of 5 years, the digital copy is now on sale for just $5.99. 

But only for the next 7 days. 

👉️ Pick up your copy here