The Idea About Ikea

IKEA came to India in 2018 but, long before that, Indians with a worldview knew about this world-leading Swedish home furnishings retailer. Like most brand names, the origin and etymology of the IKEA brand name is also rather interesting. IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 at the age of 17, using money his father gave him as a reward for getting good grades at school. IKEA’s business model has always been about selling quality products at reduced prices. What began as a retailer for such items as pens, wallets, watches and jewellery, gradually evolved into the world’s largest home furnishings retailer. But how did IKEA get its name? The discerning eye would notice the all-caps; and indeed, the brand name is nothing but a series of initials – I, K, E and A. The first two I and K come from the founder’s initials. E represents Elmtaryd, the farm he grew up on, and A stands for Agunnaryd, the nearest village. Another interesting aspect is IKEA’s pronunciation. Most people around the world say ‘eye-kee-yah’ or ‘ai-kay-uh’; but the original pronunciation is the Swedish-sounding ‘ee-kay-ah’. However, IKEA themselves use a dual pronunciation depending on whom they are addressing. When talking to a homegrown Swedish audience they say ‘ee-kay-ah’; but when addressing a global audience they use the anglicised equivalent.