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Ikea Canada says goodbye to printed catalogue amid shifting consumer trends

Ikea Canada says goodbye to printed catalogue amid shifting consumer trends | iNFOnews.ca
IKEA customers use company umbrellas to protect themselves from the 34C heat as they wait to enter a store in Montreal, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. After 70 years, Ikea has decided to stop publishing a paper catalogue, reflecting a switch by consumers to online information about its products. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Ikea announced Monday that the 2021 edition of its famed product catalogue will be its last, ending a 70-year run.

The Swedish furniture giant said the decision is part of an ongoing transformation toward digital operations, which reaches consumers where they shop.

Ikea said online retail sales were up 41.9 per cent last year, with more than 178.5 million visits to its website.

Retailers across Canada have increasingly offered sales options online and through mobile apps, with the trend accelerating this year as widespread store closures made digital shopping the only option in some areas.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently reported more than 150,000 small businesses in Canada have entered the e-commerce market since March. In all, about a third now offer online sales.

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Ikea says its first catalogue was published in 1951 in Sweden, with the first digital version in 2000. The company’s first e-commerce service was launched in Sweden and Denmark in 2001.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2020.

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Abbey Westbury

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