IKEA Will Stop Publishing Its Beloved Catalog After 70 Years

IKEA Will Stop Publishing Its Beloved Catalog After 70 Years

The annual publication has been a source of design inspiration for decades.

Sad news for design-lovers everywhere: 2020 will be the final year of IKEA's iconic catalog. For decades, the annual publication has inspired shoppers across the globe with innovative new products and smart home solutions, but today, the Swedish retailer announced it will cease publication of the catalog after this year.

Courtesy of IKEA

Created by the retailer's founder, Ingvar Kamprad, the first IKEA catalog was published in 1951. Featuring an upholstered MK wing chair on its cover, the 68-page catalog was printed and distributed only in southern Sweden. Over its 70-year history, the publication grew to encompass both printed and online versions that were distributed in dozens of countries around the world. At its peak in 2016, 200 million copies of the catalog were published in 32 languages.

According to the retailer, readership of the catalog has declined, leading to the decision to end the publication, both in print and online. "For both customers and co-workers, the IKEA Catalog is a publication that brings a lot of emotions, memories, and joy," said Konrad Grüss, managing director of Inter IKEA Systems B.V., which operates IKEA. "For 70 years it has been one of our most unique and iconic products, which has inspired billions of people across the world. Turning the page with our beloved catalog is in fact a natural process since media consumption and customer behaviors have changed. In order to reach and interact with the many people, we will keep inspiring with our home furnishing solutions in new ways."

As a tribute to the popular catalog, IKEA announced it will release a book in fall 2021 with tips and inspiration on home furnishings. Until then, you can flip through the final issue of the catalog, which launched in October, for one last glimpse of this favorite publication.