Why furniture manufacturer IKEA is committed to sustainable seafood

In order for sustainable seafood to become more widespread, it is essential to increase consumer understanding and awareness. However, in reality, many people are struggling with the dilemma that they cannot sell as many products as they have increased their product lineup due to low customer awareness.

"Increasing consumer awareness of sustainable seafood." An increasing number of companies are taking on this challenge.

One of them is IKEA, a home furnishing company from Sweden. IKEA conducted a campaign to offer MSC- and ASC-certified sustainable seafood menus at all stores in Japan for about one month from September 2022 to November 9, 15. IKEA also conducted a similar campaign in 11, so this is the second time.

Why is a furniture manufacturer committed to promoting sustainable seafood?

We spoke with Mr. Yamazaki, who is in charge of IKEA food, and Mr. Sagawa, country food manager.

First, regarding the background of the campaign, Yamazaki said, "IKEA's vision is 'A better everyday life for the many people' and with the desire to 'propose healthier, more sustainable lifestyles that have a positive impact on people and the planet', we set aside a month every year called 'Sustainability Month' to promote sales of sustainable products not just for food, but across IKEA Japan. This initiative is one example of that. We started it with the desire to let customers know more about sustainable seafood."

The most popular item was fish and chips.

I actually went there, and was impressed by the impressive menu lined up in the restaurant corner, including fish and chips, marinated salmon, and shrimp bisque. I'm sure it's partly down to distribution, but I was impressed that they're able to offer such a wide range of menu items at this point in time.

During the event, 16 meals were sold. Although the number of people who ate them was not disclosed, it is clear that a considerable number of people enjoyed the sustainable seafood. In particular, sales of the "Shrimp Bisque" exceeded expectations.

Please also pay attention to the explanations next to the menu.

What was particularly impressive was how the restaurant tries to spread the word about sustainable seafood through various communication channels within the restaurant, from the descriptions of each menu item to announcements made throughout the restaurant.

According to Yamazaki, "We wanted to make it clear to customers that all the menu items at the fair are certified seafood, so we mentioned this not only on the labels but also at the beginning of the fair's introduction and explained IKEA's sustainable initiatives."

It's exciting to think that they were able to spread the word about sustainable seafood to so many people during the campaign, but they were concerned about how general customers would take it. Compared to the last campaign in 2017, they felt from messages from customers that the word "sustainable" had become more widely known.

However, it takes a lot of effort and cost for a company to communicate information that is not yet widely known among customers.

Regarding this point, Yamazaki said, "We believe it is important for our company to take the initiative in using words, even if they are not yet familiar to consumers, and to continue to use them on an ongoing basis. By using them on an ongoing basis, consumers often remember them as 'the name that comes to mind when thinking of IKEA.'" He spoke about the significance of companies contributing to raising awareness.

Consumer awareness is not something that can be changed easily, but rather than "waiting for awareness to increase before selling," the company takes the initiative to "start by raising awareness." This aggressive approach will gradually transform the market and further increase the company's brand power.

Along with product descriptions, the store also provides numerous tips for saving energy, saving water, and reducing plastic use.

Country Food Manager Sagawa spoke about the significance of IKEA's efforts, saying, "Currently, sustainable and plant-based products (products made from plant-based ingredients) are still costly, so many small and medium-sized enterprises are unable to handle them. If large companies like IKEA take the lead, the market will be revitalized and a market will be created where more people can purchase products that coexist with the global environment at affordable prices. As a result, everyone will be able to continue to enjoy a great food environment."

I am curious to know how they balance their role as a major corporation with ensuring profits.

"Of course, since we are a business, maximizing sales is very important, but I think it is also very important to think about things from the perspective of how we can create a society where we can all coexist. With that as a basic premise, I think it is important to think about how to maximize the sales and profits that the company is seeking."

A society does not exist because of sales, but because of a sustainable society. Just by reversing the order of thinking, business strategies can change dramatically.

"In order to make environmentally friendly products the norm in society, we would like to communicate our company's efforts and the aspirations we want to achieve to our customers, and work together to make this a reality," Sagawa's words conveyed his strong determination to work toward the realization of a sustainable society.

Although the seafood served this time was from overseas, Sagawa-san is looking into collaborating with the Japanese fishing industry in the future, and hopes that the next time a sustainable seafood campaign is held in Japan, sustainable Japanese seafood will appear on the menu.

Text/Seafood Legacy Comms & Branding Mariko Arikawa

【reference】IKEA to hold Sustainable Seafood Fair from Thursday, September 9th