IKEA News

By the second issue of ikéa-nytt in autumn 1948, furniture had a prominent place. The cover showed men’s briefcases, but several pages inside were devoted to smoking tables, sofas and armchairs.

In 1949, for the first time Ingvar Kamprad directly targeted the many people in a mass mailing. ikéa-nytt was included as a supplement in farming paper Jordbrukarnas Föreningsblad, with a circulation of almost 300,000. On the cover, Ingvar wrote an open letter to “rural folk”: “I’m sure you know that it’s not easy to make the money go round. Why could this be? You produce goods of various kinds (milk, grain, potatoes, forest products etc.) and I don’t expect you get paid a lot for them. Surely not. And yet everything is so incredibly expensive. This is largely due to the middlemen. Just think what you get for a kilo of pork compared to what the shops charge.” At IKEA, rural folk would be able to buy quality at low prices. This was possible, Ingvar revealed, thanks to “a high turnover, direct delivery from the factory and very low overheads.”

A total of five issues of ikéa-nytt came out between 1948 and 1952. The final one made it clear that from now on, IKEA would only be selling home furnishings. Watches, briefcases, jewellery and pens were sold off at a discount to make way for furniture. On the back was a coupon to fill in and send off for a 100-page furniture catalogue from the future IKEA.

ikéa-nytt 1, published spring 1948

The first ikéa-nytt mainly advertised pens, as well as watches, nylon stockings and accessories for smokers – but no furniture. A sample pack with a bit of everything could be ordered for anyone curious about IKEA.

ikéa-nytt 2, winter, spring, summer 1948–1949

The second edition of ikéa-nytt had briefcases in Argentinian leather on the cover, and Ingvar Kamprad was still mainly focused on pens, watches and other accessories like wallets and jewellery. But this time, there were also several pages of “Småland quality furniture”. In an introductory text, Ingvar also promised that “if customers prove to be interested in these products, we will be publishing a comprehensive furniture catalogue”.

ikéa-nytt 3, autumn, winter 1949–1950

The third ikéa-nytt was a supplement, sent inside 300,000 copies of farming paper Jordbrukarnas Föreningsblad, and on the cover Ingvar Kamprad wrote an open letter to “rural people”. He wrote about how hard it was for people to make ends meet, and argued that the key to offering customers good quality at low prices was a high turnover, and a supply chain without middlemen.

ikéa-nytt 4, spring, summer 1950

The fourth edition of ikéa-nytt also came out with Jordbrukarnas Föreningsblad, which meant it went straight to normal people’s homes in rural areas. In it, Ingvar Kamprad wrote that sales in the latest season had been strongest for furniture, thanks to “good quality, practical models and unbeatable prices”. He also stressed the importance of “intimate contact with the specialised furniture industry in Småland, along with the smallest of profit margins”.

ikéa-nytt 5, spring 1952

The last ever edition of ikéa-nytt came out in 1952. Ingvar Kamprad made it clear that from now on, IKEA would only be selling home furnishings. Watches, briefcases, jewellery and pens were sold off at “sensational prices” to make way for “furniture and products for setting up a home”. On the back was a coupon to fill in and send off for a 100-page furniture catalogue.