Establishes in 1943 by Swedish billionaire business magnate, Ingvar Kamprad. It is founded as a mail-order sales business, after that, it started to sell furniture for five years. The first store was opened in 1958 in the city of Almhult situated in the province of Northern Sweden, Smaland. The store was named Möbel-IKÉA (The word used for furniture in the Swedish is called Möbel). The stores that first opened outside of Sweden were in 1963 in the city of Norway and then in Denmark in the year 1969. IKEA is said to be the acronym of the founder’s name Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd. So that means I (Ingvar), K (Kamprad), E (Elmtaryd), the farm on which the founder grew up, and A for (Agunnaryd), the nearby village.
The IKEA essence is known to have the contemporary composition of its furniture and other products mainly consist of appliances, things that are commonly used as household items. So now for our better understanding let us get into the details of the company with layout, what are the things that mainly produces, the company’s way of marketing, labor practices, and the things that it is mostly known for, below. Nevertheless, have a look at the quick facts about that first.
Quick Facts about the IKEA
- It is a non-profit organization.
- It is founded to make discoveries in the field of interior design.
- The Headquarters in the Netherlands, during the weekend, used to offer one euro breakfast but had to shut down the program as the traffic load on the highway became an all-time high during the weekend morning.
- It is said to use the world’s one percent wood supply to make its furniture.
- The product images of that have been illustrated by the artist rather than getting photographed.
- The catalogs of that are mostly made with the help of CGI.
- It is now self-sufficient in the manufacturing of beer.
- In China, the shoppers can sleep on the IKEA furniture, they cannot be disturbed by anyone unless it was the closing time of the store.
- There are more than 400 IKEA stores around the world.
- The company was founded to sell small goods like pens and wallets.
The worldwide famous layout of the IKEA stores
The IKEA building has the color blue on its walls with initials written in yellow color. We can say that the color is based upon the official colors of Sweden, the colors yellow and blue, to be specific.
Variety Of store sizes
The IKEA stores have variations in sizes in every location that they are situated with different formats.
Services and products that are given by IKEA.
- The famously known IKEA furniture
Whenever you hear about that, the images of self-assembling furniture come to your mind. This is the relaxation that IKEA talks about when it was first started to make furniture to make the shipping cost low which is comparatively high when you shipped an already assembled product.
- Smart home
It decided to curate the idea of a smart home business in the year 2016. With your household item connecting with your smartphone.
- Restaurants and food markets
It has its cafe in their stores. However, they slowly proceed toward the opening of restaurants and food markets. They sell branded Swedish food varieties but the food menus can be changed considering the culture of the location they are located in and many other things.
IKEA marketing strategies
- IKEA is known to market its products through heavy investment in PR. By making television commercials which has a larger audience reach. The concept is eye-catching with pretty good videography. They also partnered up with the makers of the video game SIMS 2 to make a stuff pack called IKEA HOME STUFF.
- Apart from that, IKEA has launched its loyalty cards called IKEA FAMILY. The card has no price and one can use it to avail of discounts on the various products found in the IKEA Stores.
- The other development we see in recent years is the creation of the IKEA Place app, where you can visualize the things available at the IKEA stores. And lastly the famous catalogs of IKEA.
IKEA Labour practices
It has been said to have the most ethical and sustainable work environment. The customers usually give IKEA four stars when it comes to sustainability, the customers are impressed by the IKEA approach to eco-friendliness. It is in the company policy to not hire a child when it comes to labor activities. The minimum age to apply for the human labor position is said to be 18. Apart from that the IKEA believes in empowering through employment, it is named as one of the best companies for working mothers, they are considered to be one of the best companies someone can get employed for.
INKGA
IKEA’s parent company, known as INKGA was made for individuals who lack basic skills and the experience required. Inkga is working with people who do not possess certain degrees which can help them in getting the jobs they desire. The Inkga is famously known to help the youth with contemporary skills, the disabled to thrive with what they are blessed with, people older than 50 in need of work, the migrants who are the breadwinner of their families, helping the refugees who come from the war-torn countries and lastly the women who wants make their living with dignity and respect.
Conclusion
Winding up, after looking at the complete history and the things that has done in every industry, they have done everything remarkable, from the furniture to the grocery sector we can say that IKEA deserved the recognition they have right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the benefits one can get after becoming a member of the IKEA family?
The first benefit is that you can enjoy free coffee 5 days a week. Other than that you can have discounts on a variety of this products.
- Where does IKEA usually deliver its products?
IKEA usually deliver to several European countries as well as the places where they have their official stores.
- Can I return my IKEA purchases?
Yes, IKEA happily takes the item that you have purchased but eventually changes your mind, all you have to do is take your receipt and show it to the staff members with the item you want to return.
