Why IKEA sells biryani 🍛 before a bookshelf 📚
ft. Anmol Sharma, and how you can budget for it!
Hey!
Here’s what’s in store for you in this edition:
Monthly Market Review - April 2025
IKEA’s Retail Psychology ft. Anmol
Guilt-Free Impulse Spending
Just everything worth 4 mins of your time
‘Sup with the market
April turned out to be a solid month for India, even as the world grappled with jitters over trade and central bank updates. Sensex hit 80k levels and Nifty hit its 24k mark, growing by ~5% each. The rupee held a firm foot at about ₹84.5 to the dollar, gaining roughly 1% 💪 but hey, that's still a win, a line starts with a dot!
It kinda feels like Gold's been on steroids lately. The shiny yellow thingy ✨ hovered between ₹99,500 and ₹99,900 per 10 grams. That’s nearly 38% higher than last year's ₹72,300. Although gold prices are going through the roof, leading to a decline in sales volumes during Akshaya Tritiya 2025, the sales value increased by nearly 25%, isn't that just crazy? 😲😲
Foreign funds came around with 11 consecutive sessions of net inflows, driven by optimism around India‑U.S. trade talks and the RBI's steady stance on interest rates, making financial stocks especially attractive. 💼💰
Global markets🌍 started April under pressure from news about U.S. tariffs but made a quick recovery as tariff negotiations paused, and better‑than‑expected corporate earnings kicked in. The S&P 500 posted a modest gain of 0.2%, Dow Jones added 0.4%, and Nasdaq held flat after mixed tech results. 💻📊
Biryani, Samosa, Furniture, and IKEA
Say 👋 to this month’s guest, Anmol Sharma (@financebyanmoll, please go follow him)!! Anmol and I go way back; we connected early in our creator journeys, and I’ve watched his work evolve from solid to exceptional.
He brings the same grit and attention to detail that built his personal brand into every analysis, and this deep dive into why IKEA sells biryani with its beds is no exception. Spoiler alert: you might be hungry after reading this, haha! Here’s what he says:
You might have heard of a famous phrase, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Interestingly, this holds true for businesses as well, and IKEA, a multinational conglomerate that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, is a fitting example! Don’t believe me? You will, when you finish reading. Let’s decode why food is so important, and why IKEA even sells food.
How was the idea of a restaurant born?
This goes way back to 195, when IKEA opened its first store at a small village in southern Sweden when its founder Ingvar Kamprad observed that it was difficult to sell to hungry customers. He noted that hungry people buy less. Back then, Kamprad realized that people would leave the store after shopping for a while and not return — because they went out to eat.
So, the idea was born: IKEA needed to have its own restaurant to keep people in the store and give them something nice to eat. The goal was to lure customers in with low-priced, tasty meals that would, in turn, result in more visitors and longer time spent in the store — which would eventually lead to more big-ticket purchases.
Impact of food on IKEA’s sales
Did you know IKEA Hyderabad has a 1,000-seat restaurant? According to rough estimates, around 3,000 people visit IKEA Hyderabad every day, primarily for food.
Operating ~350 days a year: 3,000 visitors/day × 350 days = 10,50,000 annual visitors
From September 2022 to August 2023, the IKEA Hyderabad had approximately 3 million visitors.
So, approximately 35% of visitors came to the store primarily for food! Interestingly, IKEA discovered long ago that 30% of their visitors globally come mainly to eat.
Now, the million-dollar question is: How many of these people who primarily come to eat also buy IKEA products?
IKEA Hyderabad’s revenue in FY 2023–24 stood at ₹1,810 crore.
As per Buildd, the average order value (AOV) for furniture at IKEA is ₹5,000.
Let’s consider two hypothetical scenarios:Scenario 1: 15% conversion
15% of restaurant visitors end up buying furniture.
10,50,000 × 15% × ₹5,000 ~ ₹79 crore
Scenario 2: 25% conversion
25% of restaurant visitors buy furniture.
10,50,000 × 25% × ₹5,000 ~ ₹131 crore
Total revenue from converted food visitors:
Scenario 1: ₹79 crore / ₹1,810 crore = 4.36%
Scenario 2: ₹131 crore / ₹1,810 crore = 7.24%
IKEA’s restaurant business could be driving anywhere between ~4.3% to ~7.2% of its total furniture sales! Moreover, its Bangalore store has one of the largest children’s play areas, meaning IKEA is going all out to help customers focus on shopping and spending without worrying about food or kids.
Kyunki uske liye IKEA hai na!
🛍️Impulse Guilt? Not With This Budget Hack
But let’s be real for a moment. We’ve all told ourselves, “I deserve this,” and swiped a card like it’s Monopoly money. You will want that overpriced croissant, sorry, prashant, or that random on-so-cute storage box that you magically created a need for, the moment you saw it at IKEA! And that’s okay — as long as you’ve budgeted for it.
We listen & we don’t judge, so tell me:
I’m not here to shame the spending, I’m here to plan with you for it. So, this is it: the Impulse FUNd, (geddit?) A small, pre-decided portion of your income for you to spend however you like, guilt-free.
But the catch is: this ONLY works if you’re diligent!
🎯 1. Name it as something you’ll respect: Don’t call it “fun money.” That’s how it disappears. Call it your “Impulse Cushion” or “Personal Freedom Budget.” The psychology matters because it helps you treat this fund with intention, not recklessness. When it sounds grown-up, you’ll use it like a grown-up.
Decide on the amount as a fixed percentage of your income. Not vibes. Not mood. Somewhere between 2 to 5 percent works for most.
🧾 2. Track it like you track your calories: Every single impulse to spend must be logged. This helps you become aware of what gives you real joy versus a dopamine hit that lasts ten minutes. You can still say yes to that overpriced coffee or that random workshop on pottery, but with boundaries. Look back after a month. You’ll probably be shocked at what was worth it and what wasn’t. That intel? Gold for your next impulse.
🧘♀️ 3. Make it boringly consistent: You wouldn’t eat five cupcakes just because it’s your “cheat day,” right? The same logic applies here. Just because you can spend doesn’t mean you should go full anarchy. Don’t wait for an impulse to strike and then scramble. Explore what works for you, like if you have to set up an auto-transfer to a separate spending account the moment you get paid.
Habits like this build rhythm. It removes decision fatigue. And most importantly, it puts a cap on chaos. Consistency and diligence beat guilt every single time.
🍸 Cocktail Pe Charcha
Is it too overwhelming to research & plan your investments? Say no more, we can personally guide you into mixing the perfect financial cocktail to manage your money!
You won’t always be rational. You will get the urge to spend on things you ideally won't. You will give in. Many, many times. And that’s going to be just fine if you're mindful and you’ve built a buffer. The more you resist, the more you'll want to spend, why do you want to get yourself into an endless cycle of indulgence and guilt? I KNOW you're better than that!😉
To making smarter, realistic choices🥂
Sayali❤️