Archive for the ‘Behaviour’ Category

Newer Entries »

The IKEA phenomenon

August 28, 2010

We made our quarterly pilgrimage to our local IKEA store in Linköping yesterday. This past week 3.5 Million Swedish households each received their copy of the 2010/2011 IKEA catalogue – which is an annual event comparable in social significance to a national holiday though perhaps not as important as Midsommar !!

http://www.ikea.com/ms/sv_SE/img/fy11/cat011/main_cat_115x130.jpg

IKEA katalogen 2011

IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd) is still a privately held company. Many Swedish households have a sticker on their letterboxes saying “No advertising – thank you” but the variant which is fairly common is “No advertising -thank you but the IKEA catalogue with pleasure”

175 Million copies of the catalog in 27 languages will be distributed in 33 countries this year. Prices in the Swedish catalogue are guaranteed till 11th July next year. IKEA is iconic and ubiquitous of course but I note that my son studying in New York visits the New Jersey store (free bus from Manhattan) just to get his traditional Swedish lunches.

http://www.ikea.com/ms/sv_SE/restaurant/restaurant2.html

Köttbullar

Surprisingly it is Iceland which has the most stores per inhabitant !!

Country Debut No. Stores Population Stores per Million People
Iceland 1981 1 318 006 3,145
Sweden 1958 17 9 354 462 1,817
Cyprus 2007 1 798 045 1,253
Norway 1963 5 4 899 300 1,021
Denmark 1969 5 5 543 819 0,902
Switzerland 1973 7 7 782 900 0,899
Finland 1996 4 5 367 188 0,745
The Netherlands 1978 12 16 609 848 0,722
Austria 1977 6 8 356 707 0,718
Belgium 1984 6 10 827 519 0,554
Germany 1974 45 81 757 600 0,550
France 1981 28 65 447 374 0,428
Hong Kong 1975 3 7 055 071 0,425
Singapore 1978 2 4 987 600 0,401
Czech Republic 1991 4 10 506 813 0,381
Greece 2001 4 11 306 183 0,354
Spain 1980 15 46 030 109 0,326
Canada 1976 11 34 224 000 0,321
United Arab Emirates 1991 2 6 888 888 0,290
United Kingdom 1987 18 62 041 708 0,290
Kuwait 1984 1 3 520 000 0,284
Italy 1989 17 60 380 912 0,282
Portugal 2004 3 11 317 192 0,265
Israel 2001 2 7 602 400 0,263
New Zealand TBA 0 4 390 090 0,228
Ireland 2009 1 4 456 000 0,224
Australia 1975 5 22 439 171 0,223
Poland 1991 8 38 192 000 0,209
Hungary 1990 2 10 005 000 0,200
Slovakia 1992 1 5 379 455 0,186
Taiwan 1994 4 23 119 772 0,173
Serbia 2011 0 7 334 935 0,136
Bulgaria 2011 0 7 563 710 0,132
United States 1985 37 310 101 000 0,119
Saudi Arabia 1983 3 27 136 977 0,111
Dominican Republic 2010 1 10 090 000 0,099
Russia 2000 11 141 927 297 0,078
Turkey 2005 4 72 561 312 0,055
Romania 2007 1 22 215 421 0,045
Japan 1974 5 127 420 000 0,039
Malaysia 1996 1 28 310 000 0,035
Ukraine 2011 0 45 888 000 0,022
Thailand 2011 0 66 404 688 0,015
China 1998 6 1 338 612 968 0,004

Tags:, ,
Posted in Behaviour, Business, Sweden | 1 Comment »

A guide-line for shoe-throwing as a political protest

August 23, 2010

The history of shoe throwing is not very old, and the first such incident in recent history took place against  President George W Bush on his visit to Iraq in 2008. Since then, several political leaders worldwide, including a Chinese premier, have become targets of fancy footwear by people who found it a happy outlet of their resentments. Throwing shoes as an extension of showing the sole of one’s foot or using shoes to insult are forms of protest primarily associated with the Arab world. Pointing ones feet at someone is a general mark of disrespect across most of Asia.

http://dvice.com/pics/bush_shoe_games_main.jpg

Iraqi shoe-throwing reporter becomes the talk of Iraq 14th December 2008

Graduate student arrested for throwing a shoe at Wen February 2, 2009

Shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist has shoe thrown at him 2nd December 2009

Pakistan TV blocked over Zardari shoe-throwing 15th August 2010

Shoe-throwing policeman hailed as ‘hero’ in Kashmir 17th August 2010

Youth Hurls Shoe At Haryana Chief Minister 23rd August 2010

Shoe- throwing has quickly become an unambiguous, easily understood and visible expression of political contempt, dissent and outrage coupled to a helplessness against the “establishment”. It may well characterise a new behavioural pattern for those who consider themselves disenfranchised and down-trodden.

It is time to establish some standard guide-lines for shoe-throwing and shoe-throwers:

1. Do not wear the shoe to be thrown.

2.Carry the shoe to be thrown in a plastic  “smell-proof” bag so as not to annoy your neighbors.

3. Choose a shoe that is not too heavy (no boots or metal studs) and one you will not miss.

4. Choose a light, brightly coloured shoe which shows up well on camera.

5. Arrange for an accomplice to film the event and upload the video quickly to You-tube.

6. Stand within your throwing distance but not too far from an exit. If possible stand at an exit.

7. Do not have your name on the shoe.

8. If using a well known brand, ensure that the brand name is clearly visible.

9. Keep photographs of the shoe taken before it was thrown for possible sale to the press later.

10. Have your “statement of contempt” or any other manifesto available and ready to issue on the web and as a press release.

11. Have one copy of your statement within the shoe to be thrown.

12. Activate your lawyer before the shoe is thrown and have him and a doctor available close to the nearest lock-up or police station.

Tags:,
Posted in Art, Behaviour | 2 Comments »

Newer Entries »