Skip to main content
Newsroom July 2021: Ingka Group news
IKEA Retail Ingka Investments Sustainability 31 July 2021

July 2021: Ingka Group news

  • New IKEA openings in Prague and Stockholm
  • RetourMatras can now recycle all mattresses in the Netherlands
  • Ingka Group, H&M, Kingfisher and Walmart join forces in retail alliance 
  • The Oracle – a podcast where passionate people discuss global challenges
  • The smallest nursery in the world

New IKEA openings in Prague and Stockholm
A new planning studio, the first in Czech Republic, has opened in Prague, focusing on accessibility and convenience for customers in the capital. It’s designed to provide inspiration and its main focus is on kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, but customers can order any products and services from the full IKEA range. 

In Sweden, IKEA has announced a wide range of new openings in cities around the country. The first one out is a new planning studio in Stockholm, which opened on 14 July. Other locations that have been announced include Gothenburg, Växjö and Lund. 

IKEA now has a range of different smaller store formats, from IKEA small stores to planning studios and shops, all designed to meet customers’ needs.

RetourMatras can now recycle all mattresses in the Netherlands
RetourMatras, a mattress recycling company that Ingka Investments is invested in, has opened their fourth mattress recycling facility in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands. The facility was constructed with the support of RetourMatras’ shareholders; Ingka Investments, Renewi and Ikano Industry. Following its opening, RetourMatras has the capacity to recycle all the 1.5 million mattresses being disposed in the Netherlands on an annual basis.  

“RetourMatras and the Netherlands is a great example of how economically viable mattresses recycling can be achieved. Now we, at Ingka Investments, are exploring how we can roll out mattress recycling to our other European retail markets. Our first focus is on France, Sweden and Switzerland,” says Lukas Visser, Investment Manager, Ingka Group.   

Ingka Group, H&M, Kingfisher and Walmart join forces in retail alliance 
Ingka Group, together with H&M, Kingfisher and Walmart, has launched The Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign, which aims to drive greater climate action in the retail industry in the run up to COP26 and beyond. 

Currently, only 5 percent of retail businesses (by total global industry revenues) have committed to taking action to limit global warming in accordance with the Paris Agreement. The Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign encourages retailers to set science-based targets in line with 1.5°C, halve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and reach net zero GHG emissions before 2050.  

“By working together across trade association partners, this movement seeks to engage the retail sector. If we work together and act with speed, focusing on what makes real impact, we can truly make a difference for people and the planet,” says Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group. 

The Oracle – a podcast where passionate people discuss global challenges
As a part of the H22 project, IKEA has launched a podcast where passionate people share their visions for how we can meet today’s global challenges.

In the podcast, The Oracle, a wide range of experts, from areas such as architecture, medicine, farming and design, share their point of view on the real problems we are facing. And they tell us why we have reasons to be optimistic.

The smallest nursery in the world
Around the same time that IKEA Netherlands’ lifestage campaign ‘Having a baby’, which is baby, toddler and young parents-focused began, they noticed that there were always birds appearing from the middle of the large yellow “A” in the IKEA sign of their blue box store in Amsterdam.

IKEA Netherlands worked with Studio Mals, who specialise in miniatures, to build the tiny IKEA furniture. Once the tiny nursery was built, it was put into the “A” of the iconic IKEA logo, where it remains today (and is hopefully getting good use from the birds!). 

We may not know for sure if this is the smallest nursery in the world, but I think we can safely say that there’s nothing else like it. And for the birds that live there? They certainly lucked into some great property!

Media enquiries

For further information, journalists and media professionals can contact us at press.office@ingka.com or by calling +46 70 993 6376

Related media assets

Photo IKEA Bromma Blocks Planning Studio

Download high res Download low res

Others are reading

Construction of first IKEA store in New Zealand speeds up, warehouse finished as mass recruitment starts soon

With the iconic blue walls now covering most of the future store, the warehouse just being completed, and the mass recruitment starting soon, the expansion of IKEA to New Zealand is gaining momentum approximately a year before the planned opening.
Man walking on a roof top with solar panels, high rise buildings in the background

The business case for decarbonization: New reports from WEF Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders reveal cost of inaction

The clock is ticking. Two new reports published from the World Economic Forum, show that the business case for investing in climate action is solid, with strong returns*. To avoid the growing costs of climate inaction, up to 7% of annual earnings by 2035 – an impact similar to COVID-19-level disruptions, every two years, business must act now. The reports – one from the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, where Ingka Group CEO Jesper Brodin is co-chair, the other in collaboration with leading Earth system scientists – outline how businesses can decarbonize, safeguard nature, and build resilience in the face of mounting climate risks. 

IKEA opens ‘Hus of FRAKTA’, a pop-up on Oxford Street dedicated to the legendary blue bag

IKEA has today opened the doors to ‘Hus of FRAKTA', a luxury pop-up on London's Oxford Street​ ​dedicated to one of the most iconic bags in the world, the blue IKEA FRAKTA.

Ingka Group prioritises affordability and long-term business resilience, recording EUR 41.8 billion in revenue

Ingka Group achieved EUR 41.8 billion in revenue (FY23: EUR 44.3 billion), a decrease of 5.5% as the company invested more than EUR 2.1 billion in lowering prices for its customers.   As part of its unique ownership structure, 85% of its net profit is reinvested back into Ingka Group, with the remaining 15% going to the Stichting INGKA Foundation to support the charitable activities of the IKEA Foundation.  

OPINION: COP29 – Let’s focus on action and stay hopeful

The United Nations annual Climate Change Conference, COP29*, took place in Baku from 11 Nov – 22 Nov 2024. Simon Henzell-Thomas, Climate & Nature Manager of Ingka Group shares his views on the outcomes and the urgent need to focus on action.

A second chance for IKEA furniture – Ingka Group offering customers an alternative approach during Black Friday

During a limited period from November 25, Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, will offer customers a discount on products in the As-Is section of the store, an area which all year round offers customer returns, secondhand, or ex-display products at a lower price than buying new. The offer will be available across Ingka Group markets and builds on previous campaigns which have raised awareness on prolonging the life of products and supporting customers to give products they no longer need a second chance.

Ingka Investments and Oxan Energy prequalified for offshore wind tender in France

Ingka Investments and Oxan Energy, a French offshore wind developer, have joined forces for the upcoming offshore wind tender in France and are pleased to be prequalified for the four zones.

IKEA invests EUR 1.5 billion to accelerate phase out of fossil fuels

Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, is investing a total of EUR 1.5 billion as part of its renewable energy transformation to phase out the direct use of fossil fuels. This investment in energy efficiency improvements and renewable heating and cooling technology contributes towards the target of reducing its climate footprint from own operations by 85% by 2030 (from a 2016 baseline). This is in addition to the already committed EUR 7.5 billion investment in offsite renewable energy production and technologies.

(OPINION) It’s time to step up: accelerate climate action and phase out fossil fuels

The science is clear – the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat but a living reality that is impacting millions of people every day – people, families, businesses and entire countries. With only five years left to deliver to the Paris Agreement, this year's United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, is our chance to set bold, actionable targets to speed up the transition and ensure a fair and fast shift to net-zero.

IKEA opens its first Swedish restaurant on the UK high street

Fans of IKEA's iconic meatballs will be able to pop in purely for a meal on the high street.

Ingka Investments’ first French solar PV park is now fully operational

Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, continues its renewable energy investments with a new photovoltaic solar park in Langeron, central France, now fully operational. The investment, made in 2023, consists of 34,500 modules and will have an annual production estimated at 23 GWh per year, the equivalent of the annual consumption of more than 6,000 households.*

Ingka Group completes acquisition of Ikano Bank to strengthen its financial services offer for IKEA customers

Ingka Group today announced the completion of the full acquisition of Ikano Bank AB (publ), following the required approvals from regulatory authorities. With this acquisition, Ingka Group becomes the sole owner of Ikano Bank, further strengthening its ability to offer affordable and accessible financial services to IKEA customers. As part of this transition, changes to the board of directors and management at Ikano Bank will come into effect.

Our newsletter

Subscribe and receive news directly in your inbox.

Subscribe to the newsletter