12 May 2014
IKEA to transform original store into self-dedicated museum
BY Tom Anstey
Swedish furniture retailer IKEA has revealed plans to turn its original store, first opened more than 70 years ago, into a museum looking at the history of the brand.
The first IKEA store opened in Älmhult, 60 miles north of Malmo in Sweden, in 1943 and now employs 139,000 people across more than 350 stores in 43 countries. It then moved to a new site in 2012, allowing the former store to be transformed into an IKEA museum.
"We have seen that there is a lot of interest in our history of 70 years," said Michele Acuna, managing director for the site, speaking to AFP. “We intend to tell stories not only on our product range but also on how the IKEA business developed and about people, and of course to give a fun and interactive experience to visitors."
The attraction would celebrate the history of the company, which was founded in 1943 by then 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad.
IKEA offers around 12,000 products across it entire range. The company uses approximately one per cent of the planet's wood supply, making it one of the largest consumers of wood in the retail sector.
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