More than 35 IKEA statistics, facts and trends
IKEA has been the world’s largest furniture retailer since 2008, with 50 stores in the US alone.
As a company, IKEA has stayed true to its early business model and only really made big changes in areas that would help improve sustainability and efficiency.
Read on for the latest statistics, facts and figures on IKEA’s history, current market share and how it plans to meet future challenges.
Top 10 IKEA stats, facts and trends that matter
- As the world’s fourth largest retailer, IKEA has a market capitalization of $48.1 billion.
- IKEA has stores in 55 countries around the world.
- There are currently 445 IKEA warehouses around the world, with plans to expand further.
- Germany currently has the most IKEA stores, with 53 at the time of writing.
- In 2020, more than 800 million people shopped in IKEA stores.
- Approximately 220,000 employees work for IKEA.
- IKEA’s delivery service is supported by around 10,000 trucks around the world.
- IKEA has pledged to be climate positive by 2030, investing $712 million in environmental initiatives.
- More than 75% of IKEA stores have charging points for electric vehicles.
- IKEA plans to expand its service in the US to shopping malls.
35 IKEA statistics, facts and trends
IKEA History Facts
IKEA has come a long way since its inception as a small business tucked away in rural Sweden.
1. Founder of IKEA
IKEA was founded in July 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad. Back then, it looked very different from the warehouse we know today.
The business actually started as a mail-order catalog through which customers could browse and order home furnishings.
However, while IKEA initially sold only items such as pens, wallets and picture frames, within five years Kamprad was able to expand his service and offer furniture.
2. IKEA name
The company name combines the initials of the founder with those of Elmtaryd, the farm where he grew up, and the nearby village of Agunnaryd.
IKEA operates under the same name in all countries. However, it seems like a lot of people are mispronouncing it, especially in the US. The correct pronunciation is ee-KAY-uh, although many people say eye-KEY-uh.
3. IKEA in the US
The first IKEA store in the US opened in 1985 in a shopping center outside Philadelphia. So far, well-planned warehouses and low-priced inventory have become a distinctive part of the IKEA brand.
The hype surrounding the company ahead of its arrival in the US. However, despite the high expectations that preceded the store’s landing, IKEA has lived up to them.
4. IKEA’s first year in the US
IKEA received overwhelming acclaim in the United States, and the first IKEA store quickly became very popular.
At one point during the year it was open, the store actually sold out and had to close until the next week. Thanks to this frenzy, the company hit $50,000,000 in sales in its first 12 months.
5. Expand IKEA
Since its founding in Sweden in the 1940s, IKEA has continued to expand in its home country, the US and other countries around the world.
As of the end of August 2020, there were 445 IKEA stores worldwide. Most are located in Germany and the US, with plans to open more warehouses in the coming years.
IKEA’s popularity in the US
IKEA has been successful since coming to the US in 1985. Here’s how the brand gained and maintained popularity in the US.
6. Number of stores
Currently, there are 52 IKEA warehouses in the United States, but not in every state. Currently, only 27 states and territories have IKEA warehouses, meaning some residents are better cared for than others.
States without IKEA stores include more remote states like Hawaii and Alaska, and even larger states like South Carolina, New Mexico and Montana.
7. California is an IKEA hotspot
Of all 27 US states and territories with IKEA warehouses in their territory, California has by far the most.
There are eight warehouses in California, accounting for about 15% of the total number of IKEA stores in the country. What’s more, California is home to the largest IKEA store in the country, the 456,000-square-foot IKEA store in Burbank.
8. Prices of IKEA products
One of the highlights of IKEA to attract customers is the value-for-money service provided in the store. In fact, despite inflation, many products similar to those sold in the first U.S. stores cost the same today.
Surprisingly, some are even selling for less than their original price. As a result, you can often buy IKEA furniture for about half the price of comparable products from competitors.
9. IKEA Cheap Food
Attractive low costs aren’t just commodities. IKEA’s in-store food courts also offer customers great value for their money.
You can pay around $5.99 for their signature Swedish meatballs with rims, while their breakfast plates are just $2.
And, it’s cheap for a reason. When founder Ingvar Kamprad introduced food courts to his store in 1958, he quite correctly predicted that well-fed customers would lead to increased sales.
10. IKEA Home
The value for money that IKEA offers is not limited to food and merchandise. The company also has a membership program called IKEA Family, which offers shoppers additional discounts and access to events and workshops.
IKEA Family is free for shoppers around the world to join, rewarding members for being a member, not based on what they spend in-store.
IKEA Logistics Facts and Statistics
IKEA’s global scale requires advanced logistics operations. Read on for the latest on how the business operates.
11. IWAY Code of Conduct
IKEA promotes responsibility and ethics and is committed to making a positive impact. Therefore, it has developed a supplier code of conduct called IWAY, which is designed according to best practice and international standards.
IWAY has developed guidelines for environmental, social and working conditions, and all IKEA suppliers and service providers are expected to comply with these guidelines.
12. Cheap Furniture, Huge Operations
The low-priced furniture sold at IKEA stores is worth the money partly because of the scale at which the chain operates.
By buying materials in bulk, IKEA is able to maximize value for money. Also, by only dealing in flat pack products, more products can be shipped, stored and sold at the same time.
13. IKEA’s distribution center
In keeping with IKEA’s overall corporate goals, the distribution business aims to reduce fuel and energy consumption and thus be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
There are at least 10 distribution centers in North America alone. Each is stocked with IKEA’s easy-to-ship flat-pack furniture, which is shipped by rail and sea whenever possible.
14. Distribution center automation
In 2020, IKEA partnered with Verity, the global leader in autonomous indoor drone systems. Together, they devised a technology solution that would reduce time-consuming manual processes in IKEA warehouses.
The result is an automated solution for warehouse inventory checks. Using drones with cameras and sophisticated algorithms, IKEA is now able to collect inventory data without human labor.
15. New technology from IKEA
Ikea has also increased its investment in technology elsewhere, such as a new distribution center in Montreal designed to serve markets in Canada and the United States.
Here, 12 robots, 30 storage and retrieval machines, and a 750-meter-long ground conveyor system work together to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
16. Improved E-Commerce Capabilities
The new Montreal distribution center is specifically designed to support IKEA’s e-commerce operations.
With the latest automation systems designed by SSI SCHAEFER, the warehouse is able to accommodate different order types and respond to requests quickly, even during peak hours.
17. Where does IKEA deliver to?
IKEA can ship products all over the United States, even to states without IKEA stores. As a result, most U.S. residents will be able to have IKEA furniture delivered directly to their door. The only exceptions are those living in extremely remote areas, such as Alaska and Hawaii.
18. IKEA’s delivery truck
About 10,000 vehicles around the world support IKEA’s delivery service. However, there is no set number of delivery trucks and vans serving the US, as IKEA doesn’t actually have its own delivery fleet.
19. IKEA’s delivery partners
The vehicles used for IKEA home deliveries in the US are not the company’s own. Instead, IKEA works with delivery companies such as DHL, UPS and FedEx, and the IWAY code of conduct ensures these partners operate to the chain’s standards.
Thanks to these strong partnerships, IKEA is able to ship a large number of furniture to your door for a flat fee of $49.
IKEA also partnered with a company called TaskRabbit to provide assembly services for customers in need.
IKEA’s Global Operations Statistics
It’s not just America that loves IKEA. These are the latest insights into IKEA’s global operations.
21. IKEA nearest store
IKEA has warehouses in 55 countries and growing all the time. One of the most recent store openings is in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where it is the first store in the country.
And, it plans to open eight more stores in the next few years. Consequently, Colombia, New Zealand and Oman will all open their first IKEA stores by 2025.
21. Germany is IKEA Central
While the US has a sizable share of IKEA stores, Germany has the most. The country has 53 IKEA stores, including four in Berlin alone. However, it was in Munich that the country’s first warehouse opened in 1974.
22. One of the most valuable retailers in the world
Ikea, worth about $48.1 billion, is the world’s most valuable furniture retailer.
And, as of 2020, it’s the fourth most valuable retailer in the world, behind Home Depot, Alibaba, and top-ranked Amazon.
23. Loyal IKEA customers
IKEA attracts hundreds of millions of customers around the world every year. In fact, in 2020 alone, more than 800 million customers shopped in IKEA stores.
That’s a huge number in a year when many stores have had to temporarily close because of the pandemic.
However, in the few years it has been in full swing, IKEA has approached 1 billion customers. As IKEA expands into more and more countries, the furniture retailer seems likely to break the billion mark in the next few years.
24. IKEA Product Name
Almost all IKEA…
