End of an era for Ikea’s catalogue

DELFT, Netherlands — IKEA announced this week it has ceased publication of its famous print catalogue after more than 70 years. “Times are changing,” the company said in a statement. “IKEA is transforming its business model to become more accessible and digital while embracing new ways to connect with more people.” By 2016, more than 200 million copies of the catalogue were being printed annually in 32 languages. But the trend toward online buying, hastened by COVID-19, has diminished the print catalogue’s utility.