March 30, 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ingvar Kamprad, who founded IKEA and helped transform it into one of the world’s largest home furnishing retailers. Born in 1926 in the region of Småland, Ingvar Kamprad built IKEA into a global home furnishings company operating in more than 60 markets.
This combination of curiosity and commercial instinct would define Kamprad’s approach. He founded IKEA in 1943 at the age of 17 in Älmhult, a town in Småland, Sweden. The company initially sold small household goods before moving into furniture in the late 1940s and 1950s. Its development was shaped by local conditions in Småland, where access to materials, a network of small-scale manufacturers, and a tradition of resourcefulness influenced both sourcing and design.
Ingvar Kamprad also identified a gap between customer needs and manufacturing, shaping a model designed to bridge that distance efficiently. Over time, IKEA developed a model focused on cost efficiency, flat-pack distribution and self-assembly, an approach that reduced prices and broadened access to home furnishings. Combined with large-format retail and a standardised global offering, the model became central to the company’s international expansion.
“Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA founder, would have turned 100 years today. His vision Create a better everyday life for the many people and the IKEA Culture & Values remain the backbone of why we do things, what we do and how we do them. His clear, down to earth and purpose driven leadership has been an inspiration for my own leadership and connects very much with who I am. And it is even more relevant in the times we are in. He wrote in 1976: The feeling of having finished something is an effective sleeping pill. A company which feels that it has reached its goal will quickly stagnate and lose its vitality. It is our wonderful fate to be just at the beginning. We will move ahead by only constantly asking ourselves how what we are doing today can be done better tomorrow. Most of the job remains to be done. Let us continue to be a group of positive fanatics who stubbornly and persistently refuse to accept the impossible, the negative. What we want to do, we can do and will do together. A wonderful future. As we mark what would have been Ingvar’s 100th birthday, I encourage all of us to share the stories, lessons and moments that have shaped us. It’s in these everyday experiences that we keep his spirit alive – and how we continue to build IKEA for the many people,” says Juvencio Maeztu, CEO, Ingka Group.
Ingvar Kamprad frequently described IKEA as a collective effort rather than the result of individual leadership. From its early operations in southern Sweden to its global reach, the company’s development relied on people working together across the value chain, from design to the store.
The centenary of Ingvar Kamprad’s birth also coincides with 50 years since the publication of The Testament of a Furniture Dealer. Written in 1976, The Testament of a Furniture Dealer is a foundational document written by Ingvar Kamprad that captured and codified the spirit and values of IKEA, ensuring that as the company grew, it would not lose what made it different. It serves as a guide for questioning, improving, and creating. It continues to guide the IKEA direction and ways of working, particularly as the company transforms to become more affordable, accessible and sustainable.
“IKEA is built on people working together, and that continues to be reflected in how co-workers collaborate, challenge ideas and find better ways of doing things. Carrying those values forward in everyday actions is one way Ingvar Kamprad’s legacy continues,” says Alejandra Piñol, Global People & Culture Manager at Ingka Group.
From its origins in Småland, IKEA has grown into a global company that has helped shape how people live at home. Ingvar Kamprad’s legacy continues to guide how IKEA works today, through a constant focus on questioning, improving and creating better ways to meet the needs of everyday life at home.
Click here to read more:
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations in 32 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com.
Media enquiries
For further information, journalists and media professionals can contact us at [email protected] or by calling +46 70 993 6376.
