IKEA introduced its first catalogue in 1951.
Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in Sweden in 1943, initially selling a range of inexpensive goods by mail order. The company’s first catalogue helped present furniture designs to customers who could not easily visit a store.
Furniture became IKEA’s central business during the 1950s. The catalogue showed products in room settings, encouraging customers to imagine complete interiors rather than buying isolated household items.
IKEA later became strongly associated with flat-pack furniture and customer assembly. The catalogue was an important part of that model because it connected standardized products with a broad international audience. IKEA ended its print catalogue after the 2021 edition as shopping increasingly moved online.