A better everyday life. Every day.

11 Feb 2020 Jon Abrahamsson Ring new CEO of Inter IKEA Group

“Torbjörn Lööf, who has successfully led Inter IKEA Group, headed by Inter IKEA Holding B.V.,  for the last seven years, has decided to end his assignment,” says Anders Dahlvig, chairman of Inter IKEA Holding B.V. “His successor will be Jon Abrahamsson Ring, who today leads IKEA franchising.” To facilitate a good handover, Jon will first become Inter IKEA Group Deputy CEO as from 1 March, reporting to Torbjörn. He will start as CEO on 1 September. His succession will be announced in due time. Torbjörn Lööf joined IKEA in 1989, and he has since held various leadership roles throughout the IKEA business. Before his present position, he led the development of the IKEA offer and the IKEA supply chain as the Managing Director at IKEA of Sweden AB. He became CEO of Inter IKEA in 2013.Under his leadership, Inter IKEA Group launched a new long-term direction to make IKEA even more affordable, accessible and sustainable. Also during Torbjörn’s leadership Inter IKEA performed a major business transformation – successfully acquiring and integrating all IKEA range, supply and industry activities and restructuring the IKEA franchise system.Equipped with a new structure and direction, IKEA has expanded to more than 15 new markets during Torbjörn’s leadership – making it one of the most intense period of international expansion for IKEA. Soon, IKEA will also enter South America, with the first store expected to open in Chile in 2021.“I have had more than 30 fantastic years with IKEA and the privilege to have many exciting assignments with the opportunity to live in different countries. IKEA has had a remarkable development during these years and it has been a big inspiration for me to be part of this journey. When I now have taken the decision to end my current assignment and time with IKEA, I do it with a lot of proudness of what we together have achieved. I will always carry with me the memories from all the wonderful meetings with IKEA colleagues and partners from around the world. It is all the people working at IKEA that makes us unique”, says Torbjörn Lööf.Jon Abrahamsson Ring started his career as a trainee at IKEA Örebro in 1998 after completing his Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Umeå University. A year later he moved to IKEA Canada, where he worked for four years. He then spent four years as assistant to IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad before becoming Deputy Retail Manager for IKEA China. In 2008 Jon left the IKEA business to become CEO of the fashion brand Filippa K and – later – CEO of gardening brand Plantagen. He re-joined IKEA when he started working for Inter IKEA Systems in 2017.”IKEA is in my heart and I truly believe in our vision to create a better everyday life for the many. IKEA is on a great journey, which is only in the beginning, and we will continue to stay true to who we are and what makes us unique: our culture and values, our vision and our business idea. And we must remain curious about our customers’ needs and dreams and their lives at home” says Jon and continues:“I am humbled by this opportunity, but also very proud and happy. I want to thank Torbjörn for his generous guidance and support, and Anders and the board for their trust in me.” “With a new IKEA direction and a solid franchise system in place, it’s a good time for Torbjörn to hand over responsibility as CEO of Inter IKEA Group,” says Anders Dahlvig and continues:“I sincerely thank Torbjörn for his important contribution to IKEA over many years. I have had the pleasure to work with him both in his role as MD of IKEA of Sweden and now as CEO of Inter IKEA Group. I have very much appreciated his leadership, commitment to the IKEA values, common sense approach to things, openness and vision about what is right for IKEA. I am sure we will find ways to continue our cooperation in one way or another in the future.”“I am very happy that Jon has accepted the position as CEO of Inter IKEA Group. Jon brings with him a leadership solidly grounded in our IKEA values, a broad IKEA experience, a commitment to our long-term direction, a healthy sense of urgency and a strong strategic ability that I am confident will greatly contribute to IKEA’s continued journey to create a better everyday life for the many people”, says Anders.

10 Feb 2020 IKEA Spring Catalogue 2020 invites to an open house

The IKEA Spring Catalogue 2020 is here, inviting the world to an “open house” into five different homes, all filled with inspiration for supporting healthier habits and getting the everyday life organized. The IKEA catalogue is produced based on in-depth knowledge about people’s needs and dreams for their homes around the world. We know that space constraints are an issue in most homes, especially when it comes to storage and there is a strong desire to stop wasting time searching for things and instead spend time with family or friends.“Every day is filled with activities, and each season brings old traditions and new things to do. So, making the most of our time is a priority, but finding the space to hold all the things that allow us to do that with ease is a challenge. Using existing space to the optimum is often key”, says Caroline Hjertström, Acting Global Catalogue Manager at IKEA Communications AB. Amongst the five homes presented in the IKEA Catalogue, you can find solutions that keep the things you often need available (the day-care bag and the favourite tutu) while providing storage for the things that only come out in season (the holiday cookie cutters and that hand-me-down winter jacket for baby number two). Many people want to create better homes and healthier routines for themselves. Organising, good sleep and self-care in the bathroom that support healthy habits are key areas, and the homes in the IKEA Spring Catalogue 2020 are dedicated especially to this.  “Planning and prepping meals gives you control over your nutrition and helps hold off the hangry. Always having a bag ready to go with your workout wear and all the things you need to get yourself together afterwards makes it easier to make it to the gym. Making space to store your at-home exercise gear means you can squeeze in a few reps before you hop in the morning shower”, says Caroline. We see that many people want to create a home according to new rules and have more fluid movement of ‘home’ activities between spaces and places. They don’t want to own too much, and they strive to simplify life by downsizing, streamlining household tasks and becoming increasingly self-sufficient. This flexible lifestyle is enabled by creative space-saving and space-making solutions. At IKEA, we meet this need by showing creative ways of using small, smart organisers for living small and moving often. “A kitchen can be a perfect spot for more than meals. It can double up as your home office or even your garden. By using some of IKEA’s portable kitchen fixtures and side units stacked up the walls instead of traditional shelving cabinets, pots and pans can be hung, appliances fitted. Still all can be packed into boxes when you are next ready to move”, says Caroline. The IKEA Spring Catalogue 2020 is part of a test, and it is distributed in France, Japan, Singapore and Sweden, timed with the spring launch of new IKEA products and collections.

11 Dec 2019 COP25: IKEA Applauds Green Deal Movement toward a Climate Neutral Europe

IKEA is guided by a single vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people. With sustainability deeply rooted in this vision, IKEA applauds the European Green Deal initiative to combat climate change and fully supports efforts to make the European Union climate neutral by 2050. This goal empowers businesses, like IKEA, to grow and lead the way toward reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with innovative circular business development, while at the same time maintain a competitive industrial environment.  We are taking action now. IKEA supports ambitious actions that will limit global temperature increase to 1.5° and enable us to deliver to the Paris Agreement. We have signed the UN Global Compact 1.5° pledge and support the Exponential Roadmap to halve emissions every decade, with a first 50% reduction by 2030. We encourage the intention of setting climate neutrality into law while increasing climate ambitions for 2030. The IKEA goal is to become climate positive and circular by 2030, reducing more GHG emissions than the total IKEA value chain emits, while growing our business. We will not rely on carbon offsetting, and we will work within our own value chain to reach our reductions.  Promoting a circular and climate neutral economy aligns with the IKEA People and Planet Positive sustainability strategy: We want to enable more than 1 billion people to live a healthier and more sustainable life within the limits of the planet by 2030. To meet that goal, IKEA is on an urgent journey to integrate a new business model – and a new mindset – that moves from a linear to a circular business, encompassing the total value chain, from how and where we meet our customers, to how and what products and services we develop, how we source materials, and develop the IKEA supply chain.  “We have a positive and solution-oriented approach and we are optimistic about the future. We should not underestimate the challenges, but with big challenges come big opportunities. We welcome the European Union’s commitment to scale up efforts to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees, taking concrete measures to transform policies and mainstream sustainability. At IKEA, we are determined to do our part and to use our size and influence to make a positive difference,” says Torbjörn Lööf, CEO of Inter IKEA Group, the IKEA worldwide franchisor. IKEA welcomes a common approach in the EU, and we are ready to work on the details of the topic relating to:promoting a circular and climate neutral economy;improving renewable energy solutions and energy efficiency; moving to zero-emission mobility;biodiversity;food waste;eliminating pollution of air, water and land;leaving no one behind.IKEA leads the value chain end-to-end, from the supplier to the customer. IKEA is able and willing to contribute our experience in retail and life at home to make this deal work for the many people. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something, and together we can scale solutions that have a positive impact on people and planet. Businesses big and small, NGOs, governments, activists, citizens – we have it in our own hands to turn climate challenges into solutions. Information on the European Green Deal can be found here.

27 Nov 2019 IKEA invests 200 million euros to speed up action to become climate positive by 2030

In connection with COP25, Inter IKEA Group announces the decision to invest 200 million euros to speed up the transformation to become a climate positive business. The investment will focus on two portfolios – one to transform the IKEA supply chain into using renewable energy, and one to remove carbon from the atmosphere through reforestation, restoration of degraded forests and better forest management practices. More than half of the IKEA climate footprint comes from materials in the products and production. “Our ambition is to reduce more greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by 2030 than the entire IKEA value chain emits, while growing the IKEA business. To reach this goal, we will continue to invest in areas that create impact. This investment will speed up the transition to using renewable energy across our supply chain and remove carbon from the atmosphere through reforestation and better forest management practices”, says Torbjörn Lööf, CEO at Inter IKEA Group.The first portfolio will support the ambition to use 100% renewable energy (electricity, heating, cooling and other fuels) in production by 2030. It will be built on collaboration with direct suppliers.The second portfolio will invest in projects aimed at removing and storing carbon through reforestation and responsible forest management. Wood is one of the main materials that IKEA uses and for many years IKEA has worked to promote responsible forest management around the world. Responsibly managed forests play a vital role in protecting ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and climate change mitigation. The projects in the second portfolio will be built on collaboration with partners to achieve scale and maximum impact. The projects will consider the wider aspect of land use and include activities to combat deforestation and support restoration of degraded land. According to the IPCC, global greenhouse gas emissions would be heavily reduced if deforestation was stopped. “We believe that the best way to minimise our climate impact and to contribute to limiting climate change to 1.5°C is mainly by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions - but we also need to remove existing carbon from the atmosphere. We can make a positive difference through our integrated supply chain, our global presence and our forest and climate expertise,” says Lena Pripp-Kovac, Chief Sustainability Officer, Inter IKEA Group. “By taking responsibility and working together we can make a true change. We have a long-term perspective and the financial strength to invest in activities that will benefit both the planet and our own business future,” says Torbjörn Lööf. For more information contact: media.franchisor@inter-IKEA.com +31-62-124-0618 Find out more:  IKEA People & Planet Positive strategy sets the direction for all IKEA franchisees and covers three focus areas:Healthy & Sustainable livingCircular & Climate PositiveFair & Equal