Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

What is IKEA anyway?

The manufacturer of self-assembly furniture was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. The acronym is made up of his initials plus those of the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd) and his home county (Agunnaryd) in Sweden.

When the Winnipeg store opens by 2013, it will be the 12th in Canada. There are currently stores in Calgary, Edmonton, Coquitlam, Richmond, Burlington, Etobicoke, North York, Ottawa, Vaughan, Boucherville and Montreal.

IKEA employs 120,000 people around the world, serves 410 million shoppers a year and has annual revenues of US$28.8 billion, making it the world's largest furniture manufacturer.

Some of its best-selling items include the Billy bookcase, Lack side table and Ivar storage system. All IKEA furniture has one-word names derived from Finnish, Danish, Norwegian or Swedish origin.

How crazy are people for IKEA? The promise of coupons for the first 50 shoppers to a new store in Saudi Arabia drew thousands of people. Two people died and 16 others were injured in the chaos. A recent store opening in London attracted more than 6,000 people before police had to be called in.

 

 

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 17, 2008 A4

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