When Ikea celebrated its 30th anniversary in Spain with a party at its Alcorcón store, CEO Carl Aaby used the occasion to stress a simple idea: keep prices down. He told the press that the chain’s steady sales growth across the country stems from a relentless policy of price cuts, a strategy that has helped make furniture more affordable for families struggling with high housing costs.
Aaby highlighted that the Alcorcón outlet, opened in 1996 as the second Spanish store after Badalona, was the first in the Madrid region. By continuously lowering prices, Ikea aims to ease the burden on renters and homeowners, turning its discount model into a small but tangible contribution to Spain’s housing crisis.