New York, USA (CNN) – IKEA has said it will stop publishing its annual “catalog”, 70 years after it was printed.
The Swedish retail store indicated that the decision to stop the directory was taken with the increase in Internet browsing and shopping rates. IKEA said in a statement that it had “made an emotional but rational decision to end a successful operation” of the print and digital versions of the catalog.
“Turning the page on our beloved catalog is actually a natural process since it changes media consumption and customer behavior. In order to reach and interact with many people, we will continue to inspire customers with home furnishing solutions in new ways,” said Konrad Gross, CEO of IKEA, in a statement. .
He had issued the first IKEA furnishing guide in Swedish in 1951. Then he launched the first duplex edition, both printed and online, in 2000. At its peak in 2016, IKEA printed 200 million copies of the guide, in 32 languages, in 50 markets around the world.
IKEA has shifted its focus more and more recently to sales and digital marketing. Its online sales saw a big boost during the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, with millions of people turning their homes into temporary schools and offices, with sales rising 45% over the 12 months to August, driven by 4 billion visits to its website.
However, despite its new trend, the brand’s massive stores and popular cafés will remain an integral part of the company’s growth plan, with John Abrahamson Ring, CEO of Inter IKEA Group, who said customers still want to “touch and experience their products.”
The 2021 Handbook, released in October, will be the company’s final version. Next year, IKEA will release a smaller book that will be “full of great inspiring home furnishing ideas” and will celebrate the history of the famous catalog.
