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　　Building a Better Business

　　While the "IKEA concept" continues to spread throughout the world, its origins are remarkably humble. In fact, IKEA was founded in 1943 by seventeen-year-old Swedish farm boy Ingvar Kamprad, who started out selling everything from matches to fish to Christmas decorations. When the young man's business got too big for him to peddle1 on foot, he obtained the delivery services of the local milk truck and started a makeshift2 mail-order catalogue.

　　Kamprad's big break came in 1950 when he added to his product line furniture made of wood from the local forest. Its overwhelming reception soon convinced Kamprad to drop all other products. After that, it did not take IKEA long to develop the basic ideas that continue to define3 it today: low-priced, well-designed, self-assembly furniture shipped inexpensively in flat packaging. As the company grew, it was better able to buy bulk raw materials from diverse markets to keep costs down.

　　IKEA combines slick4 marketing with a solid concept to sell not just a product, but a lifestyle. A look through its catalogue gives an example of this philosophy: Rather than simply showing individual products on plain backgrounds, IKEA also displays its mix-and-match pieces together in real-life settings. Moreover, in places \where\ its in-store Swedish meatballs and customer service are in contrast to local traditions, IKEA's cultural vision is especially apparent.