Published 07 December 2020 • Inter IKEA newsroom
After 70 great years, IKEA is turning the page
IKEA has taken the emotional but rational decision to end the successful career of the IKEA Catalogue - and look to the future with excitement.
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. IKEA has become more digital and accessible while embracing new ways to connect with more people. Customer behavior and media consumption have changed, and fewer people read the IKEA Catalogue today than in years past, so Inter IKEA Systems B.V., the worldwide IKEA franchisor, has decided to end the successful career of the IKEA Catalogue.
“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.
Life at home has never been more important. During the last few years IKEA has tested new formats and ways to distribute the content of the IKEA Catalogue. A wealth of knowledge and insights, from both customers and the IKEA retailers, have been collected and considered in the decision to say goodbye to the IKEA Catalogue. It is also clear that the inspirational home furnishing content is where the magic happens, and IKEA will continue to inspire and help people to plan their needs and dreams at home with existing and new exciting tools.
“Over the past few years, IKEA has been transforming many aspects of how to reach and interact with our customers, to meet customers wherever they are. Now the work will now continue to amplify the unique IKEA home furnishing knowledge, products and solutions in the best possible way - to inspire the many people through existing and new ways, channels and formats,” says Konrad Grüss.
The decision to say goodbye to the IKEA Catalogue goes hand-in-hand with the ongoing IKEA transformation to become more digital and accessible. Last year IKEA online retail sales increased by 45% worldwide, IKEA.com welcomed more than four billion visits - and at the same time IKEA has improved digital services, and launched new apps for a better IKEA experience – wherever customers meet the IKEA Brand.
IKEA will honor and celebrate the fantastic history of the IKEA Catalogue. As a tribute, during the autumn of 2021, IKEA will make a book available for the customers in the stores, filled with great home furnishing inspiration and knowledge. With that said, the beloved IKEA Catalogue as we know it today will not continue.
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. The 68-page catalogue was in Swedish and the 285,000 copies were printed and distributed in the southern part of Sweden.
- 1998: First catalogue "IKEA at office" was 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.