By Sajad Hussein Kamarally
Four years ago, I last visited IKEA. I still remember the experience vividly. Staff members seemed to be everywhere. Every few minutes, someone would smile and ask, "Can I help you, sir?"
Yesterday, I returned with my daughter-in-law, Arwa, and my granddaughter, Lamya.
What a difference.
The enormous store had only a handful of staff. Every item was neatly displayed with complete information and price tags. No one followed us. No one came over to offer assistance.
For Arwa and Lamya, it was effortless.
They simply used their smartphones, scanned the tags, compared the details and made their decisions within seconds.
For me, it was an entirely new way of shopping.
But Lamya was wonderfully patient. She walked beside me every step of the way, explaining how everything worked.
For a little while, my granddaughter was no longer just my shopping companion.
She became my IKEA salesperson.
We came home with a beautiful red rug sprinkled with delicate white flowers. It feels wonderfully soft underfoot and blends perfectly with the curtains in my living room.
We also bought some microwave-safe bowls, a book, a file cabinet, and a sofa bed that now sits comfortably in my computer room. After spending long hours at my desk writing and reading, it has become my favourite place to rest.
The biggest surprise came at the checkout.
There was no cashier.
We scanned every item ourselves, entered the necessary details and paid by card. Not a single note or coin changed hands.
I am 80 years old.
I have just completed my PhD.
Yet yesterday at IKEA, I discovered that age—and even education—never brings an end to learning.
I was learning how to shop all over again.
This is the future: fewer people, more technology and a great deal of trust. Customers are trusted to do what staff once did for them.
At first, it felt strange.
Then it felt remarkably efficient.
And with Arwa and Lamya beside me, it also felt reassuringly warm.
The world moves faster every day.
Thank God for granddaughters who are willing to slow down so their grandfather can keep pace.
Sometimes, the most important lessons do not come from a university.
They come from a granddaughter who patiently walks beside her grandfather and gently teaches him how to live in a changing world.
Dr Sajad H Kamarally (sajadhk05@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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