IKEA tried to do away with its maze-like structure to navigate its stores to help customers—except, they didn't want it

a person with a yellow shopping bag, holding a long painting (Credit: Koral Carballo—Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The quintessential IKEA shopping experience features a long and winding path from one section to the next until shoppers finally reach the check-out (and cafeteria that serves its signature Swedish meatballs).

For some, it's an exhausting and time-consuming slog, and for them the retailer tried to change the design to make it easier for people to shop from specific departments.