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　　Building a Better Business

　　宜室宜家的时尚魅力展现--IKEA家具

　　While the "IKEA concept" continues to spread throughout the world, its origins are remarkably humble. In fact, IKEA was founded in 1943 by a seventeen-year-old Swedish farm boy Ingvar Kamprad, who started out selling everything from matches to fish to Christmas decorations. When the young man's business got too big for him to peddle on foot, he obtained the delivery services of the local milk truck and started a makeshift mail-order catalogue.

　　Kamprad's big break came in 1950 when he added to his product line furniture made of wood from the local forest. Its overwhelmingreception soon convinced Kamprad to drop all other products. After that, it did not take IKEA long to develop the basic ideas that continue to define it today: low-priced, well-designed, self-assembly furniture shipped inexpensively in flat packaging. As the company grew, it was better able to buy bulk raw materials from diverse markets to keep costs down.

　　IKEA combines slick marketing with a solid concept to sell not just a product, but a lifestyle. A look through its catalogue gives an example of this philosophy: Rather than simply showing individual products on plain backgrounds, IKEA also displays its mix-and-match pieces together in real-life settings. Moreover, in places where its in-store Swedish meatballs and customer service are in contrast to local traditions, IKEA's cultural vision is especially apparent.

　　虽然"IKEA概念"持续风靡世界，它的起源却毫不起眼。事实上，IKEA是由一个17岁的瑞典农家男孩英瓦·坎培德于1943年所创立的。在创业之初，他销售的东西从火柴、鱼类到圣诞装饰品等无所不包。当这个年轻人的生意越做越大，以致于无法再徒步沿街叫卖时，他购得当地牛奶卡车的递送服务，并且开始使用临时代用的邮购目录。

　　1950年，当坎培德将当地森林所产木材制造的家具加入他的产品系列时，他的好运就此来临。该产品广为接受的程度很快便促使坎培德放弃了其他所有产品。在那之后不久，IKEA便发展出时至今日仍作为其规范的基本观念：以平整的包装、合适的费用运送低价、设计精巧的自组式家具。随着公司的成长，它更有能力从不同的市场大量购买原料以维持低廉的成本。

　　IKEA把灵活的行销手段和固定的概念结合在一起，它所销售的不只是一种产品，更是一种生活风格。翻阅其产品目录，对这种哲学便可见一斑：它们不只是在简单的背景上展示个性化的产品，同时也以居家实景的陈设方式展示各种组合搭配。此外，和当地传统有极大差异的室内瑞典肉丸特餐和顾客服务，也让IKEA文化的构想更受瞩目。