Abstract
IKEA belongs to the Stichting Ingka foundation, which is based in the Netherlands. The management of the group belongs to Leiden in the Netherlands and the other offices to Helsingborg in Sweden. INGKA Holding BV is the parent company for all IKEA companies, including the industrial group Swedwood, which commissions the manufacturing of IKEA furniture coming from any manufacturer worldwide (outsourcing), the sales companies that run IKEA stores, as well as purchasing and supply functions, and IKEA of Sweden, which is responsible for the design and development of products of the IKEA range.
Inter IKEA Systems BV in Delft, also in the Netherlands, owns the IKEA concept and trademark, and there is a franchising agreement with every IKEA store in the world. The IKEA Group is the biggest franchisee of Inter IKEA Systems BV. Inter IKEA Systems BV is not owned by INGKA Holding BV, but by Inter IKEA Holding S.A. registered in Luxembourg, which in turn is part of Inter IKEA Holding registered in the Netherlands Antilles. The ownership of the holding companies has not been disclosed.
The purpose of IKEA is to offer a wide selection of domestic (IKEA is a private holding) and international home products and it is a retailer that sells well conceived equipment products. The products offered are flat pack furnitures, accessories, and bathroom and kitchen items in its retail stores around the world. The company, which pioneered the flat-pack design furniture at affordable prices, is now the world's largest furniture retailer.
The IKEA Group is active in the development, purchase, distribution and sales of its products.
