Introduction
This article analyzes the strategy of the world’s leading furniture retailer, IKEA using the SWOT Methodology. The company was founded in 1943 and is known for its simple yet effective approach to retailing with the DIY or the Do It Yourself concept, which ensures that the company keeps costs to a minimum and passes on the value to the customers. The products sold by IKEA are mostly ready to use and flat packed meaning that they can be assembled by the customers themselves. The company has a presence in the online world as well and the total sales from its online and offline businesses are more than a Billion Dollars per year. The key strategic driver of IKEA’s success is it’s no nonsense approach to retailing that has paid rich dividends for the company and its shareholders (literally and metaphorically).
Since it was founded IKEA has always had concern for people and the environment. The IKEA vision 'to create a better everyday life for the many people' puts this concern at the heart of the business. IKEA has responded to the public's rising concern for sustainability in its choice of product range, suppliers, stores and communication. It has also spotted business potential in providing sustainable solutions. IKEA's concern for people and the