How does IKEA come up with names for its products?
IKEA’s whimsical product names turn out to follow a surprisingly strict taxonomy: sofas are named after Swedish towns, bookshelves after men’s names, and many items are deliberately given words containing the distinct Swedish letters Å, Ä, or Ö to reinforce the brand’s identity. Commenters weigh how well this system scales to thousands of new products a year, note the practical downsides of hard‑to‑pronounce foreign names, and share examples where linguistic checks failed and names took on unfortunate meanings in other languages—highlighting both the charm and risk of culturally specific branding.
Overall reaction to IKEA’s explanation
- Many praise the page for being unusually clear, direct corporate content that actually answers the question.
- Others nitpick that certain claims (e.g., about checking all names, number of products) seem exaggerated or contradicted by examples.
- Several are amused to learn that names follow a strict taxonomy rather than being random “Swedish‑ish” noises.
Naming rules and taxonomies
- Commenters restate the main scheme: e.g., sofas as Swedish place names, bookshelves as men’s names, rugs doormats with Danish names, etc.
- Some list playful examples that reflect function or puns: dish towels meaning “runny,” fake plants named like “to fake,” garbage bins like “crumple up,” etc.
- There’s discussion that older product lines (e.g., PAX, MALM) and some with short names likely predate current rules.
Diacritics and Swedish identity
- Several note the deliberate preference for Å, Ä, Ö to emphasize Swedishness and “foreign branding.”
- Native speakers stress these are distinct letters, not accented A/O, and explain alphabet order (… X Y Z Å Ä Ö).
- Comparisons are made to Häagen‑Dazs, metal umlauts, and other faux‑Nordic branding.
Cross‑language puns, mishaps, and obscenities
- Numerous examples show names colliding with other languages:
– A toilet brush whose name is “viruses” in German.
– Rugs/other items whose names map to “excrement,” “trap/cheat,” or “promiscuous woman” in various languages.
– The famous “JERKER” desk, “FARTFULL” kids’ bench, and a lamp named like “ship” that reads as “fart–” in English. - These are used to challenge the claim that “every possible product name is carefully checked,” though some suggest this rule is newer.
Product count and catalog size
- Some doubt IKEA’s claim of naming 2,000–3,000 products yearly, pointing to small scraped catalogs.
- Others counter with larger dataset and corporate figures (tens of thousands of products globally) and note that online lists are incomplete.
- It remains unclear whether the 2–3k refers to distinct designs, variants, or all SKUs.
Pronunciation, memorability, and UX
- Non‑Swedes often find names hard to say, remember, or spell, which can complicate searching or asking staff.
- Swedes abroad report having to “mispronounce” words so local staff understand, which they find mildly annoying.
- Others argue that distinctive, non‑descriptive names are a branding advantage but admit they can hinder recall and navigation.
Quality, branding, and broader reflections
- Some lament perceived quality decline and “fast‑furniture” dynamics; others report decades‑long durability and say issues vary by line.
- Several highlight IKEA’s broader service design: clear names vs. ERP codes, wordless manuals, store journey, restaurant, even an IKEA museum and hotel.
- The thread digresses into linguistics (alphabet ordering, diacritics, dialects) and naming in other domains (software, phones, cars, drugs), underscoring how hard and culture‑laden naming is.