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Sweden’s Ikea to hike prices by 9 percent due to supply chain woes

Ikea will hike its prices by an average of nine percent next year due to ongoing supply and transportation disruptions, the company that operates most of the Swedish furniture giant's stores said.

General view of one of the stores of the Swedish furniture giant Ikea in Jarfalla, near Stockholm.
Higher costs as a result of pandemic-fuelled shortages would now have to be passed on to customers, the company said. Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

Thursday’s announcement comes as pandemic-fuelled shortages and shipping challenges ramp up inflation and pinch economies globally, with consumers increasingly feeling the bite.

 “Like many other industries, IKEA continues to face significant transport and raw material constraints driving up costs, with no anticipated break in the foreseeable future,” Ingka Group, the holding company that owns 90 percent of Ikea’s stores, said in a statement.

These higher costs — which are mostly being felt in North America and Europe — will now have to be passed on to customers, it added.

“The average of the increase in Ingka Group is around 9 percent globally, with variations across Ingka Group countries and the range, reflecting localised inflationary pressures, including commodity and supply chain issues,” Ingka group said.

According to the company, Ikea franchisor Inter Ikea Group absorbed costs amounting to 250 million euros ($283 million) across 2021 due to these logistical tensions, which were exacerbated by the rebound in demand after the first phase of the pandemic.

Last month, Inter Ikea group reported a 17 percent drop in annual profits, attributing the dent to a steep increase in transport and raw material prices.

Container transport prices are at record levels following the outbreak of the pandemic, which has disrupted maritime logistics.

At the same time, the franchisor behind the world’s largest furniture seller reported higher sales for the year at 25.6 billion euros, up eight percent.

But a global spike in energy prices, supply chain snags and surging demand has prompted runaway inflation.

In the eurozone, inflation reached 4.9 percent over one year in November, a record high since the introduction of the single currency in 1999.

In the United States, prices rose by 6.8 percent last month compared to November 2020, its highest level in 39 years.

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MONEY

How much could you get for your old Ikea furniture?

That's a question many may be asking themselves, after vintage Ikea pieces were sold at an auction for hundreds of thousands of kronor.

How much could you get for your old Ikea furniture?

At a chic Stockholm auction house, 122 carefully-curated items with unusual provenance went under the hammer on Monday evening: vintage furnishings from flatpack furniture retailer Ikea were sold for a total of 37,000 euros ($40,000).

Collectors’ interest has blossomed over the years for Ikea pieces that have become design icons, as the Swedish company – normally known for more budget-friendly piece – celebrates its 80th anniversary this year.

Inside the showrooms at Stockholm’s Auktionsverk, the world’s oldest auction house, a tubular sofa, a lacquered chest of drawers and even a pair of “space age” lamps take pride of place.

The pieces, which date from the 1950s to the 1990s, are all marked with the stamp of the famous Swedish brand known around the world for its DIY furniture.

Ikea is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Photo: Viken Kantarci/AFP

“I’ve been working in the auction industry for almost 30 years, and if somebody when I started would have said that ‘One day you will host an Ikea auction in a very nice showroom’, I would have said ‘No, no, that’s absolutely that’s not possible’,” laughed Li Pamp, head of the auction house.

“Ikea has in many ways been controversial,” she noted, citing the company’s history of copying and following trends and “criticised for environmental and sustainability reasons.”

“But there are also some items that stand out,” Pamp said.

“Many very famous designers have been at some point in their career involved in Ikea. And for many, Ikea was the starting point of their career.”

Collector interest is growing in archival pieces from the Swedish flat-pack giant. Photo: Viken Kantarci/AFP

Tableware, furniture, mirrors, lights: more than 100 pieces curated from private homes were sold at Monday’s auction. A red sofa sold in Ikea stores in 1972 for the equivalent of 120 euros went under the hammer for 2,000 euros.

Earlier this year, an Ikea “Cavelli” armchair made headlines when it sold for 18,000 euros at another Stockholm auction – a fortune compared to the around 27 euros it cost when it first went on sale in 1958.

“As I remember it as a young child, if you wanted some cheap furniture you’d go to Ikea,” said Thomas Raber, in his 60s, appearing elegant as he meandered through the showroom ahead of Monday’s auction.

“You put it together yourself, and then when you’d had it for a few years, you’d throw it away,” he recalled.

“And now 80 years later, it’s here and it’s being auctioned as a piece of art, an antique. I think that’s fascinating.”

‘Journey back in time’

For Anette Aly, a 78-year-old Swede who bought her first sofa at an Ikea store in 1963, “it’s a journey back in time”.

“I see the things I saw 40-50 years in the store!”

Some of Ikea’s old designs have become icons for the brand. Photo: Viken Kantarci/AFP

The emergence of a high-end vintage market hasn’t escaped the retailer.

“It’s flattering. It’s confirmation that we’ve created the greatest brand in over 80 years,” raves Thea Mix Davidsson, collection curator at the Ikea Museum in the company’s hometown of Älmhult.

The high prices for the coveted pieces are “the only thing that bugs us a little bit. We are meant to design for everyone.”

Picking up on the trend for all things vintage, Ikea has launched a new collection with fresh takes on iconic Ikea designs, with the slogan “return to the future”.

With that market booming, Pamp said many people could literally be sitting on unknown treasures.

“It could be that people have valuable Ikea items at home without knowing it,” she said, urging them to give the auction house a call for an evaluation.

“We will of course help you!”

Article by AFP’s Viken Kantarci

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