Story overstates Ikea founder's doubts
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 13, 2003
Conshohocken, Pa. — A recent new stories suggesting Ikea's founder is worried about rapid expansion appears to have misinterpreted and are no reflection on the aggressive growth plans here, according to the retailer's North American executives.
The 76-year-old Ingvar Kamprad "has become increasingly concerned about having to close stores during an economic downturn," said a story carried by the Associated Press. He said he particularly feared that Ikea's flagship store in Aelmhult, Sweden, might have to close some day.
"I'm quite scared if the development continues like this ... I must apply the brakes," he said, according to the AP story.
But Ikea U.S. spokesman Clive Cashman said the concerns Kamprad expressed in the original story were local and had to do with the negative impact that can occur when one company dominates a town, as Ikea does in Aelmhult. He said Kamprad's original meaning was probably confused in the translation from Swedish to English.
Pernille Lopez, president of Ikea North America, said Kamprad " was not talking about the global expansion.... I have his full support in all the expansion we're doing here."
