IKEA Just Announced They're Saying Goodbye to Their Iconic Catalog

After 70 years of publishing their beloved yearly print and digital catalog, IKEA has decided to say goodbye to the publication and focus energy on future projects that will further the brand’s growth, according to Inter IKEA Systems B.V., the worldwide IKEA franchiser.

“For both customers and co-workers, the IKEA Catalog is a publication that brings a lot of emotions, memories, and joy,” says Konrad Grüss, the managing director of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. “For 70 years, it has been one of our most unique and iconic products, which has inspired billions of people across the world.” 

Despite being an iconic part of the brand, the IKEA Catalog was less utilized in recent years as the IKEA brand became more digitally accessible. In this past year, online sales rose 45% worldwide, as many lost the ability to visit stores in person and instead relied on the new IKEA apps and enhanced website to do their furniture shopping. By expending energy into other projects, IKEA hopes to find new ways to connect with customers as they furnish their homes and purchase iconic IKEA products.

If you are a longtime catalog lover, Grüss encourages you not to worry, as IKEA still has plenty in store for its dedicated audience. “We are not starting from scratch,” he says. “We have been transforming many aspects of how to reach and interact with our customers, and the work continues to find new ways to amplify unique IKEA home furnishing knowledge, products, and solutions in the best possible way— to inspire the many people through new ways, channels and formats.”

There will be one more opportunity to get your hands on an IKEA print product. In Fall 2021, IKEA will roll out a tribute book that will pay homage to the catalogs throughout the years, while of course providing stunning home and lifestyle inspiration for its loyal readers.  

Now that it's time to officially say goodbye to the catalog, IKEA can close this chapter and look forward to beginning the next.

5 Fast Facts About the IKEA Catalog:

1. 1951: Ingvar Kamprad puts together the first IKEA Catalog, and the very first catalog cover featured the MK wing chair in brown upholstery. 285,000 copies were printed and distributed in southern Sweden and came in at 68 pages.
2. 1998: The first catalog of IKEA’s becomes available via the internet, which was "IKEA at office," a special edition only showing furniture for business and offices. Though the goal was to present the whole catalog online, due to the complexity of new developing technology, the launch was postponed.
3. 2000: The IKEA Catalog launches with both a print and digital version. 
4. 2001: E-commerce launches for the first time in IKEA history for Sweden and Denmark.
5. 2016: At its peak year, 200 million copies of the IKEA Catalog are distributed in 69 different versions, 32 languages and to more than 50 markets.