We were saddened by the news that the founder of Ikea, Ingvar Kamprad, has left us. Ikea, which is probably at home in every home, began its journey in 1943, when Kamprad invested in the business idea the money his father gave him for good grades in school. He started by selling picture frames, but soon the success story began to develop. The question we have for you is how well you even know Ikea's founder.
Here are some facts that Fr Ingvar Kamprad you probably didn't know.
1. Kamprad started his business journey by selling matches.
Already at the tender age of five, Kamprad showed a business acumen. He used to buy boxes of matches at a low price in Stockholm and sell them at a profit in his village of Smaland. Later, he expanded his 'offer' with fish, fountain pens, seeds and pencils.
2. He founded a company at seventeen.
As a young man of seventeen, he began selling replicas of his uncle Ernst's kitchen table. Five years later, he expanded the range of products and added his own ideas.
3. Ikea got its name from...
The first two letters are his initials, and the e and a are related to the name of the village of Elmtaryd, where he was born.
4. Kamprad was extremely modest.
He drove a 1993 Volvo and bought his clothes at flea markets.
5. The names of Ikea furniture are due to…
… his dyslexia. You know that we have a hard time pronouncing most of the names of Ikea products, right? Well, now you know why. Due to his dyslexic problems, Kamprad developed a special naming logic. Here are some examples.
Bathroom products – names of Swedish lakes and other waters.
Children's products – names of mammals, birds and adjectives.
Carpets – names of Danish cities.
6. Ikea is one of the world's largest retailers.
With more than 300 stores in 280 countries around the world, Ikea belongs at the very top.
7. Kamprad revolutionized furniture flat-pack.
Idea for flat-pack Kamprad got the furniture when he saw one of the employees removing the legs from the table so that the customer could put everything in the car more easily.
8. Innovative advertising
Ikea is famous for its penetrating commercials. As early as 1994, a commercial featuring a homosexual couple was shown on national television.
9. You can find Ikea stores in all corners of the world...
… except in South America. Well, four stores are in the Dominican Republic, which is supposed to be part of the Caribbean.
10. Kamprad left Sweden because...
... wanted to pay lower taxes. In 1973, Kamprad left his homeland, and three years later he 'landed' in Switzerland. After forty years, it finally returned when Sweden lowered its tax rates.
