IKEA - Criticisms

Criticisms

• As a teenager, IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was directly involved in the pro-Nazi New Swedish Movement (Nysvenska Rörelsen) until at least 1948, causing tensions when IKEA began opening stores in Israel, although one source has claimed that the movement was not pro-Nazi. Kamprad devotes two chapters to his time in Nysvenska Rörelsen in his book, Leading By Design: The IKEA Story and, in a 1994 letter to IKEA employees, called his affiliation with the organisation the "greatest mistake of my life." After the revelations came to light, he pledged £1 billion to charity.
• Former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik has criticized IKEA for not depicting women assembling furniture in its instruction booklets, despite the fact that many sets of instructions do, in fact, show women.
• In 2004 there was controversy about an Irish law restricting the maximum size of a retail outlet to 6,000 m2. IKEA's plan to build a much larger store in Dublin caused the law to be put up for debate. The law was changed to remove the size limit for retail outlets selling durable goods in designated areas. The Minister for the Environment was criticised for allegedly changing the law to suit one company and other agencies protested the law change as damaging to small businesses while the government defended their decision stating that the move was a positive one for Irish consumers. IKEA Dublin has since opened on 27 July 2009.
• June 2007: the designated nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party complained about an artist's rendering of IKEA Belfast that included both the Union Flag and the Ulster Banner flag as two of the three flags in front of the store. After being labelled "an upmarket Orange hall" by the party, IKEA assured customers and co-workers that only the Swedish flag would be seen outside the actual store.
• June 2007: The BRUNKRISSLA bedding notes said, "Brightens up your grad's dorm. Unlike a creepy gothic room-mate, who can be a bad influence." Members of the goth subculture took offence at the stereotype.
• A researcher from the University of Copenhagen pointed out that for years, IKEA has named their cheap rugs after Danish places, while the more expensive and luxurious furniture was named after Swedish places. The researcher, Klaus Kjøller, who is well known for tongue-in-cheek statements, accused IKEA of imperialism.
• IKEA has been criticised by Citytv in Canada for charging as much as twice the price in their Canadian stores for the same items sold in their American stores, this despite the Canadian dollar reaching parity with the U.S. dollar.
• In 2008, IKEA sent an email to their British customers advising that "IKEA Shop Online is open everywhere", even though this only applied to England and Wales. As of June 2011 Northern Irish and Scottish customers are unable to shop online, although some Scottish customers may get items delivered via IKEA Edinburgh. This scheme called IKEA DIRECT only applies to certain postcodes and costs between £35 (City of Edinburgh) to £120 (Aberdeenshire) for delivery. Even today, IKEA customers in Australia cannot shop online.
• In November 2009, IKEA, along with Abercrombie & Fitch, Gymboree, Hanes, Kohl's, LL Bean, Pier 1, Propper International and Walmart, was added to the 2010 Sweatshop Hall of Shame by labour rights group International Labour Rights Forum.
• In 2011, IKEA and its Swedwood affiliate came under criticism for its treatment of workers at a U.S. factory in Danville, Virginia and its decision to hire the law firm Jackson Lewis, which is often employed by companies to counter labor demands, to consult with IKEA on attempts to form a union at Danville. A petition on Change.org has received more than 70,000 signatures urging IKEA to respect workers' rights.
• In 2012, IKEA in France was accused by the independent newspaper Le Canard enchaîné and the investigative website Mediapart of spying on its employees and clients by illegally accessing French police records. The head of risk management at IKEA feared his employees were anti-globalists or potential ecoterrorists.
• In October 2012, Glendal Foods - a major supplier to IKEA Store Restaurants in Australia, was the subject of bullying allegations by about 50% of staff at the company and the National Union of Workers. Claims included self-harm by a worker, retention of wages & a significant long-term pattern of staff-abuse and complaints are under investigation by WorkSafe Victoria. IKEA Australia have not yet made a formal comment.
• In October 2012, Ikea was criticized for airbrushing women out of pictures in catalogues which were used in Saudi Arabia.