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About us

What started as a tiny mail order company in rural Sweden has now become a global home furnishing brand that brings affordability, design and comfort to people all over the world. We may have come a long way since our humble beginnings, but our vision remains the same: to create a better everyday life for the many people. Here you can explore the IKEA story and learn more about our heritage and the events that shaped us.

Two bare-footed children in grey track suit pants and long-sleeved t-shirts jumping on a dark blue sofa.

The IKEA vision and values

Inspired by our vision and driven by our values, we’re passionate about life at home.

Learn about the IKEA vision and values
A portrait of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, outdoors smiling while wearing a pink, white and green striped shirt.
Most things still remain to be done. A glorious future!

Ingvar KampradIKEA founder

The cover photo of the 1973 IKEA Catalogue showing a couple reclining on two TAJT easy chairs in a room with yellow carpet.

A brief history of IKEA

The IKEA story began in the Swedish town of Älmhult in the 1940s, with an enterprising boy who hoped to improve the lives of people everywhere. Here you follow the development of IKEA, decade for decade.

Learn more about the history of IKEA
A person emerging from an IKEA store carrying a paper bag containing a house plant and a FRAKTA bag over their shoulder.

About IKEA UK

IKEA retailing has more than 70 years of history, but we believe we are just at the beginning, and we are developing a new world of IKEA retailing right now.

Read more about IKEA UK
A person wearing a pink skirt and carrying a green plastic crate walks up a hill towards a white single storey building.

IKEA Foundation

The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropic organisation that works to help families around the world tackle two of the major challenges they face – poverty and climate change.

Learn more about the IKEA Foundation