The story of IKEA flatpacks
IKEA flat packs have revolutionized furniture-making and home furnishing history. Today, most IKEA products come in flat packs that customers can easily transport everywhere. How did the idea come about and how did IKEA change the way we see and work with furniture.
Where it all began
IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was only 17 years old when he established the company. When he began selling furniture, it was all bulky chars and tables, produced and manufactured by local artisans of Sweden. As the company grew, so did the expenses that came with shipping each furniture. With the size and weight of each fitting, shipping costs were stark.
Small ideas, big dreams
Gillis Lundgren is one of the people that made IKEA the brand it is today. He designed the BILLY bookcase as well as the IKEA logo. One of the many contributions of Lundgren in the organization started when he was tasked to deliver a table to a photo studio to be shot for the IKEA catalog. His car couldn’t fit the table, so he thought to himself, “Why not take off the legs?” That little idea sparked big dreams not only for Lundgren but for all of IKEA.
Revolutionizing the industry
While Lundgren is not the inventor of flat-pack furniture, he’s the person responsible for popularizing the idea. He revolutionized the industry by applying it on the IKEA range, advocating for the low-cost and convenient way of making furniture. Flatpacks have since become the cornerstone of the IKEA business model, influencing later designs.
The effects of IKEA flatpacks
Flatpacks are some of reasons behind IKEA’s global growth. Since the use of this idea, prices of furniture from the range have reached an all-time low in the industry. This also allowed more stocks to be stored in every store. Ease of transport is just another effect, conveniently moving products not only by the consumer but in bulk in between stores. Lastly, IKEA flatpacks encouraged designers to take the challenge of creating functional products that are also clean and minimalist.
