Timeline

   

Introduction

Full story

IKEA Kuwait

1940's

1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's


Full story

1955 - IKEA begins designing its own furniture. There were several reasons for IKEA to start designing its own furniture. But what actually led to this—possibly our best move ever—was quite ironic. Pressure from our competitors caused suppliers to boycott IKEA. This reaction to our early success required us to begin designing our own furniture, and became the basis for future growth. Ultimately, this would lead to innovative design and improved function at lower prices. Then, by lucky inspiration, one early IKEA employee decided to remove a table’s legs so it would fit into a car, and to avoid transport damage. From that point on, we began to think in terms of design for flat packaging. Which led to even further reductions in price for our customers. A pattern had begun to establish itself at IKEA. Turning problems into opportunities.

1956 - IKEA begins testing flat packages. Designing products so that they can be packed flat and assembled by our customers greatly reduces their cost. This was obvious from the very first day we took the legs off a table and put it in a car. We can ship more items in one truck, less storage space is required, labour costs are reduced and transport damages are avoided. For the customer, this means lower priced products and easy transportation home. But all of this began carefully, one product at a time.

1958 - The first IKEA store is inaugurated in Älmhult. 6,700 square metres of home furnishings! At the time, it was the largest furniture display in Scandinavia.

1959 - Gillis Lundgren—the fourth employee at IKEA—designs TORE, possibly our biggest sales success ever. While visiting a kitchen manufacturer, he noticed the simple, practical storage ideas we use in our kitchens and had the inspiration to apply that same thinking throughout the home. As soon as he got back to Älmhult, he sat down and designed TORE.

The hundredth employee joins IKEA.

1963 - The first IKEA store in Norway opens outside Oslo. This was also our first store not located in Sweden.

Marian Grabinski, consul and architect, designs the MTP bookcase.
It was a contemporary classic, and spawned numerous imitators over the years. In building this and other wood products, IKEA forged good relations with Polish suppliers in the 50s and 60s. These relationships still provide the basis for many of our efforts to maintain prices at levels which the majority of people can afford.

1964 - ÖGLA chair is redesigned to fit the IKEA concept of form, function and price.

                                                                                              < Previous    Next >

                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

IKEA Catalogue 2009

English  -  عربي