THE STORY BEHIND BILLY BOOKCASE

MY NEIGHBOURS HAVE ONE

OF THOSE: Undoubtedly. It’s an IKEA bes tseller. One BILL Y bookcase is sold e very 10 secondsand a whopping 60 millionhave sold globally. WHO DESIGNED IT? Gillis Lundgren in 19 79. BILLY was one of IKEA ’s firs t e ver flat-pack products. WHY IS IT SO POPULAR? It is competitively priced — from £25. You can also add to it as your collection of books, china dogs or glassware grows. It’s an appealingly simple design and e ven comes in this

season’s must-have colour — dark blue. THAT’S CHEAP: It’s pricier for those buying in Egypt. Finance firm Bloomberg have used the BILL Y bookcase to compare spending power across the world. It’s cheapest in Slo vakia and most expensive in Egypt. DOESN’T EVERYONE HAVE THEIR BOOKS ON A KINDLE

THESE DAYS? Not if BILLY is anything to go b y. John Lewis also reports that sales of bookcases are on the up.