IKEA is one of the most famous shops in the whole world – and one of the most famous Swedish exports ever! But how much do you know about this furniture giant and its history? We’ve assembled 15 flat-packed facts all about IKEA, its origins its famous products! Discover why it’s blue and yellow, how many meatballs it sells a year, and the weird naming system behind its products! Liked this? We’ve got loads more facts here! Speaking of building things, how about these amazing ancient Egypt facts? Or maybe you’re more interested in some French engineering and these excellent Eiffel tower facts! And for more European excellence, try out these impressive Poland facts!

1. IKEA is Swedish

You probably knew this, it’s one of the most famous Swedish things around, along with ABBA, Smorgasbords and the chef from the Muppets. But did you know that, despite being uber-Swedish, ‘Ikea’ isn’t actually a Swedish word?! Yes, it’s true! It’s actually an acronym!

2. IKEA is an Acronym

IKEA was founded all the way back in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, (he was only 17 at the time!) who was from a farm called Elmtaryd in the village of Agunnaryd – get it? I, K, E, A! Clever! Ingvar passed away in 2018, at the ripe old age of 91, which meant he lived to see his company grow from its humble origins to a global phenomenon!

3. You Can Buy a Whole House

IKEA don’t just sell things to put in your house – they sell houses! Yes, you can buy a flat-pack house and assemble it yourself! It’s called a ‘BoKlok’ house, and they were first launched in 1996!

4. IKEA’s Famous Flatpack Furniture Wasn’t Developed Until 1956

Initially, IKEA didn’t sell its famous flat-pack furniture. Then, in the 1950s, Ingvar hired Gillis Lundgren to design furniture, and Gillis hit upon the idea of making furniture to be sold in pieces so it could fit in customer’s cars! Now, the words flat-pack and IKEA go together like…well, like a well-assembled Billy bookcase! Speaking of Billy…

5. Billy Bookcases Are Big Business

Billy bookcases are one of IKEA’s most popular and famous products – 15 are made every MINUTE! Millions are sold in the UK, and its estimated that globally, one is sold every five seconds! Billys were designed by Gillis Lundgren, who initially sketched his design on the back of a napkin.

6. All IKEA’s Products Are Named After Scandi Things

Every IKEA product has a Scandinavian name, such as its bathroom items, which are named after Swedish lakes and rivers, and its bedroom products, which are named after Norwegian places. It’s a smart system to categorise products whilst reminding people of their Scandinavian origin -and if you want to know the name of every product, there’s even an IKEA dictionary!

7. IKEA Has a Simple Philosophy

The reason IKEA has been so successful all over the world is its philosophy. It aims to sell people simple and affordable (but not cheap!) furniture that can be put together by the customers and customised if wanted. It’s modernist, Scandinavian design also appeals to lots of people and ages well.

8. There is A Reason It’s Blue and Yellow

Every wondered why IKEA’s iconic blue and yellow colour scheme was chosen? Simple – they’re the colours of the Swedish flag! If you didn’t already know IKEA was Swedish, you definitely won’t forget now!

9. Their Cafes Have Been Around For a Long Time

The first IKEA cafe opened in 1958, and café culture in Sweden was huge at the time! IKEA wanted to serve everyone who went there on its opening day coffee and biscuits, but soon high demand meant they were running out! IKEA soon had its own cafes, but IKEA wanted to do more – Ingvar wanted to open a Viking themed restaurant inside their stores! Instead, an early version of the IKEA restaurant we know today was developed, and people came from all over Sweden to eat and drink in IKEA!

10. It’s Meatballs Are Famous

IKEA’s Swedish meatballs are almost a celebrity themselves, especially here in the UK, where we eat a lot of them! On average the UK consumes 27 MILLION IKEA meatballs a year! And if you’re a really big fan, you can even get a turkey sized one for Christmas!

11. Yes, You Can Get Lost in Ikea

If you’ve ever wondered how people don’t get lost in IKEA – they do! In fact, IKEA is sneakily designed to make sure you have to walk around the whole shop before you leave, meaning your more likely to buy more products!

12. There is an IKEA Museum!

If you were wondering how to find out even more about IKEA and its lore, the good news is you can visit the IKEA museum! It’s located in its home town of Älmhult, and is located in the same building as the original IKEA. Here you can learn all about the history of IKEA and different furniture styles through the decades!

13. There Are Over 12,000 IKEA Products

If you wanted, you could furnish your whole house with IKEA – and you would still have plenty of choice! There are literally thousands of products on its website, making it the world’s largest furniture retailor!

14. IKEA Stores Are Very BIG

If you’ve been in an IKEA, you’ll know just how huge they are and how long it takes to go round them! But did you know that the largest IKEA store is over 500,000 square foot? And the average store is 300,000 square feet! That’s over 40 tennis courts! You’ll definitely get a work out in when you visit!

15. IKEA Is On Course For Global Domination

There are nearly 500 IKEA shops all over the globe, operating in 62 countries! The latest country to open an IKEA is Columbia, who opened a store in 2022! Russia, which used to have several IKEA stores, currently has none due to the war on Ukraine, which prompted IKEA to announce it would close its Russian stores. But will they stay closed forever? We’ll have to wait and see!