Ikea celebrating 75 years of heritage

SINCE it was founded in 1943 by the late Ingvar Kampard, Ikea has been synonymous the world over as the place to go to for affordable, beautiful and practical home furnishing.

To celebrate its 75th global anniversary, Ikea has returned to the designs of some of its most beloved products from three eras – the 1950s-1960s, 1970s-1980s and 1990s-2000s – in its latest Gratulera Collection.

The first wave from this collection (from the 50s-60s era) is now available at all Ikea stores in Malaysia, with the following eras coming in November and December respectively.

“It’s our pleasure to celebrate this remarkable journey of making home a better place, but it would not have been possible without our customers,” said Ikea Southeast Asia deputy retail director Gerard Jansen, during a media event at the company’s first Ikea store in Malaysia at Mutiara Damansara.

“We are taking this opportunity to thank them by reintroducing Ikea home furnishing that was once appreciated for their exceptional functionality, quality, sustainability and low price.

“We would love to reignite the special memories that count for each of our customers and continue to do so for the next 75 years.”

Two items in the 50s-60s era stand out. One is the Lovbacken table (previously known as Lovet) and the other is the Strandmon wing chair (that also comes with a matching foot stool).

Jansen ( below) said the Lovbacken table ( top right) was designed by Ikea’s “employee number four” who inadvertently kicked off the flat-pack idea.

Apparently, the employee was taking it to a photo shoot and could not fit the table in his car. So he removed the legs, got the whole thing into his car and took it to the studio where he put it back together again.

Thanks to his idea, Ikea is now able to store and deliver more furniture all over the globe.

The Strandmon wing chair ( above, right) was initially called the M.K. wing chair, named in honour of the founder’s beloved wife Margaretha Kampard.

Besides celebrating its heritage, Ikea has also unveiled a year-long campaign in response to evolving trends and people’s needs at home.

The Ikea campaign, themed Make Home Count, will help individuals and families organise their homes, create meaningful spaces as well as live in a sustainable way.

Jansen said Ikea regularly engage with customers to find out what they need, adding that is a key element to the company’s growth as it bases everything on customer feedback and research.

Ikea opened its first outlet in Malaysia in 1996, with Ikea Damansara, and since then, has opened two other stores – Ikea Cheras and Ikea Tebrau. There are plans for a fourth store in Penang. Customers can also now shop on Ikea’s online store to avoid the crowds. – S. Indra

Sathiabalan