Its arrival in the mailbox each year was highly anticipated, filled with brands most people couldn’t pronounce, like Skurup and Yngvar.
But after 70 years, Ikea will no longer publish its iconic catalog.
According to a 2018 BBC documentary, nearly 800 million people in 49 countries visited IKEA stores in 2017. “The importance of the catalogue — the publication of which always leads to a bump in profits — cannot be over-stated,” the Daily Mail wrote.
The documentary also said Ikea’s catalog was more widely distributed than the Bible or the Quran.
“For 70 years (the catalog has been one of our most unique and iconic products, which has inspired billions of people across the world.” said Konrad Grüss, managing director of Inter IKEA Systems BV. “Media consumption and customer behaviors have changed, and Ikea is already increasing digital investments while volumes and interest in the catalogue have decreased.”
Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad put together the first Ikea catalog (no Allen wrench needed) in 1951, the Verge wrote, and at its peak in 2016, there were 200 million catalogs distributed in 32 languages.
Atlanta’s Ikea store at 441 16th St. NW reopened to the public in June with safety measures in place.
You can browse the 2021 catalog online, and Ikea says it will commemorate the catalog with a book launching next autumn.
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