They offer similar benefits to a good sized Starbucks store.
Free charging points, WiFi, bench seating in secluded corners and so on.
Though I'd wager that WiFi is less important, as people have mobile plans with plenty of data.
Given the accommodation crises in Australia, I'd suspect many students dont have a decent place to study in their homes. Many of them are sharing bedrooms etc..
I would say that the Wi-Fi is important, as the design of most UK IKEA buildings blocks mobile network signals!
Only downside is screaming kids
And yes there's bad mobile signal but Vodafone (famous for having better indoor signal I believe) works ok
I was under the impression they were subsidized.
Additionally, they are a "trap" - easy to enter, but exiting requires you to walk the gauntlet of products for sale downstairs.
I learnt this the hard way several times in my local IKEA, but I also read an article about how this is absolutely strategic in their thinking. Unfortunately I couldn't find it to back me up.