News (en)

After 70 successful years, we have to say goodbye to the IKEA Catalogue
The beloved periodical as we know it today will not continue

The IKEA Catalogue has a phenomenal 70-year legacy. Over the years it has become an iconic and beloved publication, and it has been an important success factor for IKEA to reach and inspire the many people across the world with home furnishing solutions and products.

But times are changing. The beloved IKEA Catalogue as we know it today will not continue.

The decision to say goodbye to the IKEA Catalogue goes hand-in-hand with the ongoing IKEA transformation "to become more digital and accessible".

“For both customers and co-workers, the IKEA Catalogue is a publication that brings a lot of emotions, memories and joy. For 70 years it has been one of our most unique and iconic products, which has inspired billions of people across the world. Turning the page with our beloved catalogue is emotional but rational. Media consumption and customer behaviors have changed, and IKEA is already increasing digital investments while volumes and interest in the catalogue have decreased,” says Konrad Grüss, Managing Director, Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

5 facts about the IKEA catalogue:

• 1951: Ingvar Kamprad himself put together the first IKEA Catalogue, and the very first catalogue cover featured the MK wing chair in brown upholstery. Printed and distributed in 285,000 copies in the southern part of Sweden, 68 pages. In Swedish.
   
• 1998: First catalogue "IKEA at office" available on the internet, which was a special edition only showing furniture for business/offices. The ambition this year was to present the whole catalogue online, but due to the complexity with IT-systems the launch was postponed.
   
• 2000: Launch of both a printed and digital version of the IKEA Catalogue.
   
• 2001: E-commerce is launched for the first time in IKEA history, in Sweden and Denmark.
   
• 2016: At its peak year, the IKEA Catalogue was distributed in 200 million copies, in 69 different versions, 32 languages and to more than 50 markets.

After 70 successful years, IKEA is turning the page
Press release, 07-DEC-2020

Источник: SBO-PAPER.RU