Monday 29 January 2018

Adieu, king of flat-pack

He came up with the idea of flat-packed furniture when he was trying to fit a table into the boot of his car and a friend suggested he remove the legs

Mr Kamprad (pictured left as a child) was 17 when he founded Ikea, now one of the world's most recognisable brands, in 1943
Mr Kamprad (pictured left as a child) was 17 when he founded Ikea, now one of the world's most recognisable brands, in 1943

Notoriously frugal 91-year-old billionaire went from selling matchboxes to a global furniture empire

The company has confirmed the death of Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad.

Easily, the world's largest furniture retailer, multinational Ikea, has hundreds of stores across dozens of countries.
Kamprad managed to grow the company to 412-stores worth $72bn.
In his early years, Mr Kamprad sold matchboxes to neighbours from his bicycle, finding out he could buy them in bulk very cheaply from Stockholm

Describing his end as peaceful, the company, in a statement, said that Mr Kamprad was 'one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century.'

The hardworking young man started advertising in local newspapers and operating a makeshift mail-order catalogue.

He distributed his products via the local milk van, which delivered them to the nearby train station.

In 1950, he introduced furniture, produced by local manufacturers in the forests not far from his home, into his catalogue for the first time.

Surprisingly, he got positive responses from clients. As a result he decided to focus on low-priced furniture and discontinue all other products.

Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, described as 'one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century', has died

No comments:

Post a Comment

A crumbling empire : The world's sole superpower, Derek Chauvin and the tragedy of a broken system

Insensitivity personified : Police Officer Derek Chauvin, 44, kneeling on Floyd's neck during his arrest George Floyd was filmed Mo...