History

The following history shows how over six decades IKEA went from the woods of southern
Sweden to being a major retail experience in 40 countries/territories around the world.
The IKEA story begins when founder Ingvar Kamprad is born in Smland in southern Sweden.
He is raised on 'Elmtaryd', a farm near the small village of Agunnaryd. Even as a young boy
Ingvar knows he wants to develop a business.
Go to decade: 1920s-1950s, 1960s-1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s
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IKEA History
1920s-1950s
1926
Ingvar Kamprad is born
At the age of five Ingvar Kamprad starts selling matches to his nearby
neighbours and by the time he is seven, he starts selling further a field, using
his bicycle. He finds that he can buy matches in bulk cheaply in Stockholm
and re-sell them individually at a very low price but still make a good profit.
From matches he expands to selling flower seeds, greeting cards, Christmas
tree decorations, and later pencils and ball-point pens.
1943
IKEA is founded by Ingvar Kamprad
When Ingvar Kamprad is 17, his father gives him money as a reward for succeeding in his studies. He
uses it to establish his own business. The name IKEA is formed from the founder's initials (I.K.) plus the
first letters of Elmtaryd (E) and Agunnaryd (A), the farm and village where he grew up. IKEA originally
sells pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewellery and nylon stockings - meeting
needs with products at reduced prices.
1945
The first IKEA advertisements appear
Ingvar Kamprad's business outgrows his ability to make individual sales calls, so he begins advertising in
local newspapers and operating a makeshift mail-order service. He uses the
local milk van to deliver products to the nearby train station.
1948
Furniture is introduced into the IKEA range
The furniture is produced by local manufacturers in the forests close to Ingvar
Kamprad's home. The response is positive and the line expands.

1951
The first IKEA catalogue is published
IKEA's founder sees the opportunity to sell furniture on a larger scale using a catalogue. The IKEA
catalogue that we know today is born.
1953
Furniture showroom opens in lmhult, Sweden
This is an important moment in the development of the
IKEA concept - for the first time customers can see and
touch IKEA home furnishings before ordering them. The
showroom is born out of a price war with IKEA's main
competitor. As both companies lowered prices, quality
was threatened. By opening the showroom, IKEA clearly demonstrates the function and quality of its
low-price products. The innovation is a success; people wisely choose the products with the best value
for money.
1956
Designing furniture for flat packs and self-assembly
IKEA's decision to design its own furniture stems, ironically, from competitor
pressure for suppliers to boycott IKEA. Exploration of flat packing begins when
one of IKEA's first co-workers removes the legs of the LVET table so that it
will fit into a car and avoid damage during transit. After this discovery flat
packs and self assembly become part of the concept.
1958
The first IKEA store opens in Sweden
The first IKEA store in lmhult has 6,700 square metres of home furnishings! At the time, it is the
largest furniture display in Scandinavia.
Gillis Lundgren designs the TORE drawer unit
While visiting one of IKEA's kitchen manufacturers, one of IKEA's earliest co-workers, Gillis Lundgren,
notes the simple, practical storage ideas being used in IKEA kitchens and is inspired to apply the same
thinking throughout the home. As soon as he gets back to lmhult he sits down and designs the TORE
drawer unit.
1959
Our co-workers
The 100th co-worker joins IKEA.
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IKEA History
1960s-1970s

Back to top
1960
The first IKEA restaurant
The first IKEA restaurant opens in the IKEA store in lmhult, Sweden.
1961
Product testing begins
IKEA begins quality testing its products using Swedish testing standards.
GLA chair on sale
The GLA cafe chair is launched with the IKEA concepts of form, function and price in mind. Today it is
made of composite plastic in order to further reduce
transportation costs.
1962
Marian Grabinski designs the MTP bookcase
The MTP bookcase is a contemporary classic and will see
numerous imitations over the years. Developing this and
other wooden products develops strong relationships
between IKEA and Polish suppliers during the 1960s. These
relationships continue today and are an important reason for
IKEA maintaining low prices so that the many people can
afford them.
1963
IKEA arrives in Norway
The first IKEA store outside Sweden opens in Oslo.
1965
Largest IKEA store opens in Stockholm, Sweden
Thousands of people queue for the opening of the 31,000
square metres flagship store, IKEA Kungens Kurva. The store
has a circular design, inspired by New York's Guggenheim
Museum. The store's success leads to the opening of a selfserve warehouse - an important part of the IKEA concept is born. Additionally, Accenten is opened,
where customers can buy quality cooking items at a low price.
1968
Particleboard makes its mark
This inexpensive, hard-wearing and easy-to-process material is a natural fit for IKEA. In 1969, the
PRIVAT sofa is designed by architect ke Fribryter. It has a particleboard base with a white lacquer
finish and brown floral cretonne covers by textile artist Sven Fristedt. The straight lines, no-nonsense
practicality and unbeatable low price are a tremendously successful combination.

1969
IKEA arrives in Denmark
The first IKEA store opens in Copenhagen.
1973
IKEA arrives in Switzerland
The first IKEA store outside Scandinavia opens in Zurich.
Denim used for furniture
TAJT, a multifunctional seat/recliner, is one of many good examples of how
IKEA sometimes does things differently. By using a low-cost raw material from
another industry, in this case denim, a hard-wearing and low-priced product is
created.
1974
IKEA arrives in Germany
The first IKEA store opens in Munich. The success in Switzerland paves the way for a rapid expansion
into Germany, which today is IKEA's largest market.
SKOPA chair raises eyebrows
Choosing a manufacturer for the SKOPA chair, designed by Olle Gjerlv-Knudsen and Torben Lind, is
wonderfully simple, even if it raises a few eyebrows. SKOPA is developed by a supplier that usually
makes plastic buckets and bowls, creating a chair in which form and function are not compromised by an
unorthodox solution.
1975
IKEA arrives in Australia
The first IKEA store opens in Sydney.
1976
IKEA arrives in Canada
The first IKEA store opens in Vancouver
POEM is launched (later known as PONG)
Another IKEA classic is born, the comfortable armchair POEM made of
laminated wood, which will later evolve into PONG.
The Testament of a Furniture Dealer
Ingvar Kamprad writes The Testament of a Furniture Dealer and in 1976 it is
published - it documents IKEA's vision and business idea and has a strong influence on the development
and vitality of IKEA's culture.
1977

IKEA arrives in Austria

The first IKEA store opens in Vienna.
1978
BILLY bookcase is born
The BILLY bookcase is introduced into the range - an IKEA classic.
1979
IKEA arrives in the Netherlands
The first IKEA store opens in Rotterdam.
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IKEA History
1980s
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1980
KLIPPAN sofa - another IKEA classic
The KLIPPAN evolves into a sofa tough enough to stand up to the kind of
punishment only children know how to dish out, yet soft enough to fall asleep
on during long bedtime stories. The entire cover can be removed for machine
washing.
LACK table arrives
This low-priced, functional coffee table is made with a technique that is
normally used for interior doors, making the table very strong and light. This
sandwich technique is called board-on-frame and will be used in many IKEA
products in years to come.
1981
IKEA arrives in France
The first IKEA store opens in Paris.
1982
IKEA Group is formed
The IKEA Group is formed and its owner is a foundation, the Stitchting INGKA Foundation, which is
based in the Netherlands.
LACK range is extended
To complement the LACK table, LACK shelves are designed.

1984
IKEA arrives in Belgium
The first IKEA store opens in Brussels.
STOCKHOLM range of furnishings appears
IKEA designs a series of high-quality furnishings using some well-loved materials - birch wood, leather
and cretonne. The range has everything you would expect of high-quality classics, except the high price
tag. STOCKHOLM is a winner of the Excellent Swedish Design award.
IKEA catalogue numbers increase
The IKEA catalogue print run expands to 45 million copies, in nine
languages.
IKEA FAMILY is launched
IKEA FAMILY, the new customer club, is launched. Today, IKEA FAMILY
is in
24 countries (over 235 stores) and has about 40 million members.
1985
IKEA arrives in the USA
The first IKEA store opens in Philadelphia.
Our co-workers
IKEA now has 10,000 co-workers and 60 stores in the
IKEA Group.
MOMENT sofa is designed by Niels Gammelgaard
When IKEA looks for a suitable manufacturer, visits to a
supermarket-trolley factory prove successful in utilising
knowledge of strength and stability. IKEA takes this as
a starting point to create a stylish, comfortable and
low-priced sofa with a modern look. The matching table, designed in 1987, wins the Excellent Swedish
Design award - something few supermarket trolleys can boast of.
1986
New president and CEO
Ingvar Kamprad retires from Group Management to become an advisor to the parent company INGKA
Holding B.V. Anders Moberg becomes President and CEO of the IKEA Group.
1987
IKEA arrives in the UK
The first IKEA store opens in Manchester.
1989

IKEA arrives in Italy

The first IKEA store opens in Milan.
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IKEA History
1990s
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1990
IKEA arrives in Hungary
The first IKEA store opens in Budapest.
IKEA's first environmental policy
The IKEA Group develops an environmental policy to ensure that the company
and its co-workers take environmental responsibility for all activities
conducted within its business.
1991
IKEA arrives in the Czech Republic and Poland
The first IKEA store in former Czechoslovakia opens in Prague. The first Polish IKEA store opens in
Poznan.
Swedwood, IKEA's industrial group
IKEA acquires its own sawmills and production plants and establishes the industrial group Swedwood to
produce wood-based furniture and wooden components.
1993
IKEA and FSC
The IKEA Group becomes a member of the global forest certification
organisation Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
1994
MAMMUT
Daring to be different. A whole furniture series for children is introduced
that not only meets the demands of wild childish imaginations, but also
stands up to the wildest of children's games. All the products are made
of tough, resilient materials and have rounded corners for safety.
1995
The first IKEA PS collection is launched
Launched at the same time as the Furniture Fair in Milan, PS stands for POST SCRIPTUM, or the latest

additions to the world of IKEA design. The IKEA PS collection is one way of sharing IKEA's design values
- form and function at a low price. IKEA PS gives designers free rein to shape the latest creations, where
the aim is to create products that are emotional, fun and less predictable, appealing to those who prefer
an individual taste to a common style.
1996
IKEA arrives in Spain
The first IKEA store opens in Barcelona.
DAGIS kids chair by Richard Clack is born
Richard Clack obviously takes a long, hard look at kids before he designs this chair. Children do not have
sharp corners, they are fairly soft but can stand up to a little rough and tumble now and again. So he
designs his chair to suit the needs of children with one little improvement - the chairs come in stackable
versions to save space and make moving them easier.
1997
IKEA on the web
The IKEA web site www.IKEA.com is launched.
Children's IKEA is launched
IKEA offers furnishings for the entire family, but because kids are the most
important people in the world, IKEA decides to develop a range specifically for
them. We work with many experts to develop products that are good for the
development of kids' co-ordination skills, social skills and creativity. The
products we launch in 1997, and continue to sell today are chosen by the
most important experts: kids themselves. Even our stores take care of
children's needs by providing play areas, children's room settings, baby areas
and special meals in the restaurant.
IKEA 365+ for all the days of the year
The IKEA 365+ range is launched - a range of functional, attractive everyday
products for preparing, cooking, serving and eating food. The products are
designed to make kitchen work easier and more enjoyable, at the same time bringing a little more
beauty into everyday life with their form and colours.
1998
IKEA arrives in China
The first IKEA store opens in Shanghai.
The first forestry manager is employed at the IKEA Group
IKEA employs its first forestry manager to work fulltime with securing sustainable use of forestry
resources.
1999

Our co-workers and stores

The IKEA group grows to 50,000 co-workers and has 158 stores in 29
countries.
A new President and CEO
Anders Dahlvig becomes President and CEO of the IKEA Group, taking
over from Anders Moberg.
The Big Thank You event
The unique Big Thank You event on 9 October 1999 is a millennium
reward for the many co-workers within the IKEA Group. The total of all
sales on this special day, worldwide, is divided among all co-workers - in
total about 84.85 million euros. It is a great way to thank hard-working IKEA co-workers for contributing
to the company's ongoing success.
Improving education in Kosovo
The IKEA Group donates funds to UNICEF and Save the Children to assist in the re-building of schools,
the provision of educational materials for children and the special training of teachers in war-torn
Kosovo.
IKEA wins international award for VRDE kitchen
VRDE is a new way of thinking about kitchens. Its unique
modular design allows customers to create an entire kitchen
from scratch or simply add a piece here or there. The
innovative
design, functionality, ergonomics, ecological compatibility
and durability combined with attractive design, helps VRDE
win the Red Dot Award for Highest Design Quality, which is
organised by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in
Germany.
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IKEA History
2000s
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2000
IKEA arrives in Russia
The first IKEA store opens in Moscow.
A code of conduct is launched

The code of conduct called The IKEA Way on Purchasing Home Furnishing Products (IWAY) is launched.
It defines what suppliers can expect from IKEA and specifies what IKEA expects from its suppliers in
terms of legal requirements, working conditions, active prevention of child labour, external environment
and forestry management. In addition to this, IKEA also introduces The IKEA Way on Preventing Child
Labour to ensure that no child labour is used by our suppliers or
their sub-contractors.
Child rights project in India
The IKEA Group, in co-operation with UNICEF, initiates a broad
community programme in northern India to address the root
causes of child labour. The project includes 500 villages and will
benefit more than 1 million people, providing more than 80,000
children with an opportunity for an education. At, present, the
project covers a range of initiatives, such as providing alternative learning centres, health and nutrition,
education, empowering women and forming women's self-help groups.
IKEA customers can shop online
E-shopping is launched in Sweden and Denmark. Since then many other markets have started offering
online shopping at IKEA.
2001
IKEA Rail begins
The IKEA Group trials running its own rail operations through
IKEA Rail AB. The train runs five round trips a week between
lmhult, in Sweden, and Duisburg, in Germany. In 2004 rail
operations are taken over by an external company, with
IKEA continuing to use this route. The use of rail continues
to be an important part of IKEA's strategy to promote
sustainable transportation of IKEA material and products.
Another innovative product
IKEA becomes one of the first manufacturers to produce furniture with patterns produced directly on
fibreboard and particleboard, in a factory in Poland. This technique is called print-on-board.
Anders Dahlvig speaks at a Greenpeace conference in London
IKEA has a long tradition of co-operating with different NGOs such as Greenpeace, a co-operation which
started in 1991. Over the years, this has helped IKEA phase out the use of bleach for printed materials,
the use of PVC in products, as well as working towards protecting natural intact forests.
A new head office for the IKEA Group
The IKEA Group moves its head office from Humlebaek in Denmark to Leiden in the Netherlands.
Inter IKEA Centre Group is formed
Inter IKEA Centre Group was founded in March 2001 to become a Holding company for shopping centres
with an IKEA store as an anchor. The group is owned and controlled by by the Inter IKEA Group and the

IKEA Group and today operates in Poland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, France,
Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, with headquarters in Denmark.
2002
IKEA recovery is launched
A new product-recovery concept is implemented in more than 100 IKEA stores in Europe to ensure that
returned products are, where possible, repaired instead of being wasted.
The IKEA and WWF Co-operation on Forest Projects
In 2002, the global conservation organisation WWF and the IKEA Group join forces to promote
responsible forestry in priority regions around the world. The two organisations initiate a series of global
and regional forest projects to support the development of responsible
forestry.
2003
The fourth IKEA PS collection is launched
The focus is on innovative products with the specific ambition to inspire
children to play and enjoy physical activity. The range also includes the
successful IKEA PS BRUM soft toy. During 2003-2004 customers help to raise
more than 2.1 million euros by purchasing a PS BRUM soft toy at an IKEA
Group store. These funds are donated to UNICEF projects for children in Angola and Uganda.
2004
IKEA arrives in Portugal
The first IKEA store in Lisbon.
First environment report
The IKEA Group publishes its first Social & Environmental Responsibility Report. It is launched on the
web and gives information as well as facts and figures.
The 200th IKEA store opens
The IKEA New Haven store in the US is the 200th
IKEA Group store worldwide.
2005
Everything for the bedroom under one roof
A complete and co-ordinated collection of bedroom
furnishings is launched, including everything from
mattresses to smart storage solutions and textiles for
all tastes.
IKEA expands its focus to kitchen solutions
IKEA wants to make life in the kitchen easier, after all it is one of the most-used rooms in the house. So
IKEA looks into all the ways life in the kitchen can be more fun. The result is a wide range of coordinated kitchens and dining furnishings that make kitchen life easier.

IKEA customers help children in need

Customer purchases of IKEA soft toys help raise funds
for UNICEF and Save the Children projects focussing on
children and their welfare. This yearly campaign has to
date raised a total of 4.8 million euros.
The fifth IKEA PS collection is launched
What if the wildest ideas become the wisest solutions?
The fifth IKEA PS collection is launched under the
headline 'What If...?' Twenty-eight designers develop a range in which innovation is the key word for
materials, design, function and techniques. The range includes everything from rugs with hinges and
pillows for your feet, to t-shirt-shaped cushions and rocking dining chairs made from wooden plastic.
IKEA and WWF co-operate on cotton cultivation
IKEA is working together with WWF to promote better methods of cotton cultivation. About 2,000
farmers in Pakistan are being trained in Farmer Field Schools. In 2006, the cotton cultivation project
expands to India, where 500 farmers are being trained. The discovery-based learning process
encourages the farmers, many of them illiterate, to adopt more sustainable production practices that
serve as a good example to others in the region.
IKEA gives in-kind donations
Schools in Liberia and Burundi receive 9,000 tables each for a UNICEF school project. After the tsunami,
IKEA gives UNICEF an in-kind donation of 125,000 bed sheets, 100,000 quilts, 18,000 blankets, 145,000
toys and 300 mattresses to help victims in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.
IKEA Social Initiative
An organisation called IKEA Social Initiative is formed to handle global community involvement through
its partnerships with Save the Children and UNICEF.
2006
IKEA arrives in Japan
After previous explorations of Japan with a joint venture in the
70s, the IKEA Group opens its first fully-owned store in Tokyo.
IKEA food label
IKEA launches its own food label covering about 30 percent of
the 150 products in its food range. The range focuses on highquality food products based on Swedish recipes and tradition, for
a low price. The products have an IKEA label and are sold in
Swedish Food Markets in IKEA stores and are also served in
IKEA restaurants.
Our co-workers
The IKEA Group exceeds 100,000 co-workers and operates in 44 countries.

Preventing illegal logging

The IKEA Group and WWF join forces to curb illegal logging in Russia and reward legal forestry in Russia
and China. WWF Russia is actively participating in government working groups to find solutions to illegal
logging on the national and regional level. For example, regional anti-illegal logging brigades receive
technical assistance to conduct monitoring and gain control over logging activities.