The company was founded in 1943 by Swede Ingvar Kamprad. He was 17 at the time, and had saved some money by selling produce on a small scale to local farmers. He started a business with money he got as a graduation present from his father. What started as a small mail-order company in rural Sweden has now grown into a global home furnishing brand that stands for affordability, design and comfort.
In 1984, IKEA opened its first stores in Belgium in Zaventem and Ternat. In 2002, The Zaventem branch moved to a new building in the industrial park, a few hundred metres from the previous site. This branch also houses IKEA Belgium’s Service Office and Customer Service Centre.
