IKEA: From Small Idea to Global Brand (B)

 IKEA did not start as a global company. It began in 1943 in a small town in Sweden. A young boy called Ingvar Kamprad started selling small products like pens and wallets from his bicycle. At that time, it was just a simple idea, but it later became a very successful business.

The big turning point came when IKEA discovered something surprising: many customers were willing to build furniture themselves if the price was more affordable. This led to the famous flat-pack system. Furniture is sold in small boxes, and people assemble it at home. What first seemed inconvenient became a clever and practical solution.

But IKEA did more than sell furniture—it created a lifestyle. When you walk into an IKEA store, you enter a carefully designed space that looks like a real home. The rooms are modern, simple, and comfortable. Customers don’t just see products—they imagine a better way of living.

Behind the scenes, IKEA focuses on efficiency and organization. The company carefully controls production, transport, and design to reduce costs. Every product is designed to be easy to move, simple to build, and practical for everyday use.

At the same time, IKEA tries to be responsible by using sustainable materials and protecting the environment. However, some critics question if this is always true because the company produces such a large number of products worldwide.

Even so, IKEA’s success is not accidental. It combines smart design, low prices, and a clear identity. This is why it continues to grow and influence how people live today.

In the end, IKEA is more than a shop. It represents a modern way of living—simple, affordable, and built by the customer.

 1A. Vocabulary Match  

1. efficient | a. Furniture in parts that you build yourself
2. flat-pack | b. The way people live
3. sustainable | c. Cheap enough to buy
4. customers | d. To make something by putting parts together
5. lifestyle | e. An important moment of change
6. assemble | f. People who buy things
7. turning point | g. To put parts together
8. build | h. Easy and useful
9. convenient | i. Working well without wasting time or money
10. affordable | j. Good for the environment in the future

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📘 1B. Synonym Match  

1. modern | a. inexpensive
2. assemble | b. construct
3. simple | c. way of living
4. efficient | d. buyers
5. customers | e. put together
6. affordable | f. practical
7. sustainable | g. effective
8. build | h. eco-friendly
9. lifestyle | i. contemporary
10. convenient | j. easy

2. UNIQUE BRANDS

These products,brands and businesses became successful because they were unique in their field and offered somethig very original. Talk about how these products stand out and what makes them unique and successful:

1. Crocs

2. Balenciaga

3. Dr. Martins

4. Kombucha 

5. Liquid Death 

6.La Pollería de Barcelona

7. Caganer Shop

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3. PRESS CONFERENCE: IKEA CRISIS 

Setup:

Breaking news: IKEA is accused of environmental damage. It turns out the wooden material they use for their furniture was taken from the Amazon, especially in Tres Fonteras, which is the part of the Amazon that is shared between  Brazil, Peru and Colombian . This is illegal logging. Ikea claims that they had hired a third party in South America, and were not aware that they were cutting down trees in forbidden parts of the Amazon rainforest. 

Roles:

• IKEA spokesperson
• journalists (aggressive questioning)
• activist
• confused customer

4. Fika culture 

Fika culture is a Swedish tradition in Sweden that is all about taking a break from daily life to enjoy coffee and something sweet, usually pastries like cinnamon buns, while spending time with others or simply relaxing on your own. It is not just a coffee break but a way of slowing down, connecting with people, and valuing balance between work and rest, and it is often a regular part of both workdays and social life in Sweden. 

1.How might your day feel different if you took a regular pause just to relax and talk with others?

2. Why do you think slowing down like this is important in modern life?

3. Do you have something similar in your culture?

5. Sweden 

Choose one topic from the list and explain why it is interesting to you:

1. In Sweden, there is a law called Allemansrätten. It allows people to walk, camp, and enjoy nature freely, even on private land, if they respect it.
2. In the north of Sweden, there are big changes in light. In summer, the sun does not set (midnight sun), and in winter, it is dark most of the day, especially in places like Kiruna.
3. The city of Kiruna is moving to a new location because mining is making the ground unsafe.
4. Sweden is almost cashless. Many people pay with cards or phones, and some places do not accept cash.
5. Every winter, the famous Icehotel is built again using ice and snow. In spring, it melts.
6. Fika is a daily tradition in Sweden. People take a break, drink coffee, and relax with others.
7. Sweden recycles a lot of waste and even imports waste from other countries to produce energy.
8. Parents in Sweden get about 480 days of paid leave when they have a child.
9. Sweden is a small country but has many famous music artists like ABBA and Avicii.
10. The Stockholm Archipelago has about 30,000 islands, many of them small and quiet.