We’ve come a long way since Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in 1943. From being a tiny Swedish business, selling through a mail-order catalog, IKEA has become one of the most well-known home furnishing brands in the world. Today, there are hundreds of IKEA stores around the globe, and more are coming. Read more about our fascinating story – from the very beginning, to what we are doing right now.
Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in 1943 at the age of 17, selling household goods like pens, wallets, and picture frames. Småland, the landscape where Ingvar grew up, was stony and rugged. Back then, many of the inhabitants had to get by with small means, making as much as possible with next to nothing. Because of this, Smålanders are said to be thrifty and innovative, with a “no-nonsense” approach to everyday problem-solving. This heritage is one explanation to the IKEA way of doing things and to our success.
The IKEA catalog Because Älmhult, the town where IKEA was founded, is in a rather remote area of Sweden, it was difficult to reach potential customers in the bigger cities. Due to this, the IKEA catalog was born in 1951, and Ingvar had already decided IKEA should sell good furniture at low prices.
The prices in the first IKEA catalog were so low that people were initially skeptical about the quality of the products, so Ingvar decided to convert an old workshop in Älmhult into a showroom where people could look at and try products before ordering.
Mail order distribution of bulky furniture was difficult and expensive, and products often got damaged. In 1956 we got the idea to take the legs off the Lovet table, which led to the idea of self-assembly and flat packing. Today Lovet is back at IKEA, now named Lovbacken A little table that contributed to a great idea.
Throughout our history, our best ideas have come from our biggest challenges, and we believe this is what makes us different. Today, IKEA is one of the most well-known home furnishing brands in the world and, if we include the many thousands employed by our suppliers, around one million people are working with us to make our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people become reality. And this is just the beginning.
At IKEA we have a unique recruitment process to find the right people and for you to find the right job. When you apply for a position that you are interested in, you will receive a reply within 30 days. If the interest is mutual, an interview comes next. For some jobs, you might be asked to do a test such as on behaviors, cognitive abilities, or technical skills.
The process then moves to additional interviews including with your potential manager. If we mutually agree that you are the right candidate for the job, you will receive an offer including terms and conditions. Throughout the process, we share results and feedback with the candidate. We believe that each and everyone has something unique to offer.