Building a B et ter Busi n e s s |
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http://www.sina.com.cn 2004年01月14日04:48 青岛新闻网-青岛早报 |
While the″IKEA concept″ continues to spread throughout theworld,its origins are remarkably humble. In fact, IKEA was foundedin1943 by seventeen-year-old Swedish farm boy Ingvar Kamprad,whostarted out selling everything from matches to fish toChristmasdecorations. When the young man's business got too big forhim topeddle on foot, he obtained the delivery services of thelocal milktruck and started a makeshift mail- order catalogue. Kamprad's big break came in1950when he added to his productlinefurniture made of wood from the local forest. Itsoverwhelmingreception soon convinced Kamprad to drop all otherproducts. Afterthat, it did not take IKEA long to develop the basicideas thatcontinue to define it today low-priced, well-designed,self-assembly furniture shipped inexpensively in flat packaging. Asthecompany grew, it was better able to buy bulk raw materialsfromdiverse markets to keep costs down. IKEA combines slick marketing with a solid concept to sellnotjust a product, but a lifestyle. A look through its cataloguegivesan example of this philosophy Rather than simply showingindividualproducts on plain backgrounds, IKEA also displays itsmix-and-matchpieces together in real -life settings. Moreover, inplaces whereits in-store Swedish meatballs and customer service arein contrastto local traditions, IKEA's cultural vision isespecially apparent. |