IKEA originates from Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad founded the company in 1943 in Småland, southern Sweden, when he was 17 years old. IKEA began as a mail-order business, initially selling everyday goods before adding furniture to its range in 1948.
The company’s Swedish identity is built into its name. IKEA combines Kamprad’s initials with Elmtaryd, the farm where he was born, and Agunnaryd, the nearby village where he grew up. The company’s operational hub and product-development base remain in Älmhult, Sweden, where the first IKEA store opened in 1958.
People sometimes confuse IKEA’s origin with its modern corporate structure. IKEA originated in Sweden, but its retail and franchising operations involve companies based in several countries, including the Netherlands. Its products are also manufactured internationally. The brand became known worldwide for flat-pack furniture, customer assembly, room displays and cost-conscious Scandinavian design. IKEA opened its first stores outside Sweden in Norway in 1963 and Denmark in 1969.