It looks like IKEA is adding to the things that are changing this year, as it has decided to end its massive catalogue. This has been the year of changes, and some have been good, while others have been bad. We have seen companies go out of business, radio stations come to an end, and now we are starting to see the end of catalogues and other forms of media that moms used to love getting.
The IKEA catalogue has become an iconic staple on coffee tables everywhere, the book (because it’s a lot more than just a catalogue) is the perfect thing to scroll through for inspiration on home décor and design, but it looks like it is ending.
According to Business Insider, IKEA has decided to get rid of its catalog. This will end the 70-year run of the catalogue, as it turn to focus on other aspects of the company. This was an announcement that was also listed on its official website, and it states that both its print and digital versions of the catalogue will be coming to an end.
It may have been underestimated just how popular this piece of literature was. More copies of the IKEA catalogue are printed every year than the Bible or the Quran. This was likely not an easy decision for the company to make and it stated that they collected customer feedback when it came to this decision.
IKEA said that it has decided to focus more on their online store in lieu of the print. Due to the changing customer demographics, the company has seen an increase in online shopping versus in store shopping, something that may have been helped by the pandemic, which saw a lot of people turn to online retail.
IKEA also took into consideration the fact that people are turning to different forms of media and that a paper-styled catalogue may just not be that popular anymore. The company will publish one last copy, a book of home furnishing inspiration, and it will be released in fall of 2021. The company said that this was an emotionally difficult decision, but it was a rational one.
While moms can understand the logics behind a decision like this, they are going to miss getting that thick book of colorful furniture in their mailbox. Another plus is that this may be better for the environment as well, so mom can think of it as her saving all the trees.
Sources: Business Insider, IKEA