IKEA was founded in 1943 in Sweden by Ingvar Kamprad, who was just 17 years of age at the time. The first official IKEA store was opened in 1958. http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/history/index.htmlToday, there are over 123,000 employees in 37 countries, with annual sales of more than 21.5 billion dollars. The name "IKEA" is an anagram by Kamprad. It stands for Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd (Kamprad's farm), Agunnaryd (Kamprad's home parish).
IKEA is privately held by the Kamprad family. They now have over 300 stores throughout the world. Their main product is flat-packaged furniture for home assembly, in addition to other home accents and furniture for living room, bedroom, kitchen, and office. IKEA's website states that they flat-package furniture for a variety of reasons. Not only does it reduce production time, but it allows for more efficient transportation, which saves fuel, time, and materials. Where possible, all items are transported by sea or rail, as it is more environmentally friendly. http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/facts_and_figures/index.html
Most IKEA locations include an IKEA Restaurant in the store. They offer quick, simple food, similar in style to what could be found at a bar or pub. They claim to always have a vegetarian option and an organic option, as well as free baby food with the purchase of any adult meal. IKEA Restaurant also offers daily specials.
The 2010 IKEA Catalogue can be found online at IKEA's company website. Aditionally, copies can be ordered by mail or picked up at any IKEA location. This year's edition contains 376 pages of products for sale. There are a total of 9,500 different products. In 2009, almost 200 million IKEA catalogs were printed, and are available in 27 different languages. http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/virtual_catalogue/IKEA_Catalogue.html
Functional Departments
References
Fast Facts
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Founding Store
Agunnaryd, Smaland, Sweden
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Founded In
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Headquarters
Delft, Netherlands
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Company Website
www.ikea.com
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Founder
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Employees
123,000 Employees in 37 Countries
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Annual Sales
21.5 BIllion Euros
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Fact:
Catalogue is printed in 27 different languages, and is also available online
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Fact:
IKEA values themselves as "environmentally responsible"
