Timeline Saturday 18 October 1958

Events on Saturday 18 October 1958 1

• 1958 First IKEA store opens in Älmhult IKEA opens its first full retail store in Älmhult on 18 October 1958 — at 6,700 square metres, the largest furniture store in Scandinavia. The store introduces the concept that will define all subsequent IKEA stores: a walk-through layout where customers follow a set path through a series of fully decorated room settings, ending at a self-service warehouse where they collect flat-packed items. The restaurant (serving Swedish food) and supervised children's area are present from the start. The store attracts customers from across Sweden, some travelling hundreds of kilometres.