The Local Germany

Why Ikea won’t let you return a bashed-up sofa any more

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 18:58:46 +0200

The Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea announced on Thursday that it is imposing stricter rules on the return of purchases, after its generous policy has been abused by too many customers.

Mother slams IKEA for rejecting autistic son

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 17:50:25 +0200

A mother from North Rhine-Westphalia has accused furniture chain IKEA of debasement, discrimination and marginalization – after employees in their Dortmund store refused to let her autistic son into the children's play area.

GDR prisoners made Aldi and VW goods

Wed, 15 Jan 2014 08:55:00 +0100

Supermarket Aldi and carmaker Volkswagen allegedly used East German forced labour during the Cold War. A report broadcast on Tuesday evening also said the communist regime forced prisoners to donate blood to sell to the West.

Baker's daughter moves to save Karstadt

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 12:15:00 +0100

Ikea boss Eva-Lotta Sjöstedt will be the new head of struggling German department store chain Karstadt. She reportedly has a shake-up of all 83 branches up her sleeve, in a last ditch attempt to save the business.

Ikea's record sales lead to expansion

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:13:00 +0100

Ikea, the Swedish furniture conglomerate, posted record sales in Germany last year and plans to open 20 additional stores in the next decade, the Wirtschaftswoche reported on Saturday.

East Germany sold sick for West pharma testing

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:22:00 +0100

Communist East Germany not only put its political prisoners to work making Ikea furniture, it also sold the bodies of its sick citizens to Western pharmaceutical firms for testing their new products, a new television documentary has revealed.

Ikea: sorry for East German prison labour

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:06:00 +0100

Swedish furniture giant Ikea apologised on Friday for using East German political prisoners as forced labour to build furniture in the 1970s and 80s.

Ikea planning 'to build new district in Hamburg'

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:21:00 +0200

Swedish furniture giant Ikea plans to build a whole housing and shopping district in Hamburg, it has admitted – and is on the hunt for a 50,000 square metre area of the north German city to develop.

East German prison labour claims spread

Fri, 04 May 2012 19:27:00 +0200

East German political prisoners were not only making furniture for Ikea but also sewing bedclothes for West German companies such as Quelle and Neckermann, according to new claims in Friday's Handelsblatt newspaper.

Ikea 'also used Cuban prison labour'

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:49:00 +0200

As Ikea investigates claims that East German prisoners were forced to make its furniture in the 1980s, allegations emerged on Thursday that Cuban prisoners were also made to build the furniture giant’s products in the 1980s.

Ikea investigates Stasi prisoner labour claims

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:12:00 +0200

Swedish furniture giant Ikea is investigating claims that its factories used East German political prisoners for labour during the 1970s and 1980s.

Ikea boss bemoans German bureaucracy

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:46:00 +0100

Ikea is becoming increasingly frustrated at complicated German bureaucracy and public protest, which has slowed expansion plans, company head Mikael Ohlsson said on Friday.

Ikea helps Chemnitz renovate iconic Karl Marx statue

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:50:00 +0200

As Germany's most famous statue of socialist theorist Karl Marx marks its 40th anniversary, Chemnitz is spending nearly €100,000 on cosmetic renovations for the landmark with help from furniture store Ikea.

Police probe Ikea bombing blackmail

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:26:00 +0200

As Ikea increases security at its stores across Europe following an explosion in its Dresden branch, police in Germany are examining a letter claiming responsibility and threatening further attacks if a substantial amount of money is not paid.

Small explosion hits IKEA store in Dresden

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:02:00 +0200

Following a small explosion in an IKEA store in Dresden on Friday evening, the German headquarters of the Swedish home furnishings chain is calling on all branches in the country to be extremely vigilant.

DHL ends delivery and assembly service for Ikea and Karstadt

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:29:00 +0100

Deutsche Post subsidiary DHL said on Monday it will no longer deliver and assemble goods from Ikea and department store Karstadt. Customers who need help putting together their Billy bookshelves are now on their own.

Ikea takes German planning rules to EU

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:03:00 +0200

Swedish furniture giant Ikea is calling upon European authorities to stop German local governments limiting where it can build its superstores.

Ikea launches line of prefabricated homes in Hesse

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:48:00 +0100

The build-it-yourself Swedish furniture giant Ikea presented its “BoKlok” line of prefabricated houses in the state of Hesse with the guarantee there would be no assembly required.

Ikea shutting down 'Billy' factory in Saxony-Anhalt

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:12:00 +0200

Workers in Gardelegen, Saxony-Anhalt have assembled Ikea’s famed “Billy” bookcases since 1982. But the factory is now closing its doors as the Swedish company pursues cheaper Slovakian labour, weekly magazine SuperIllu reported on Thursday.

Munich museum opens IKEA 'democratic design' exhibition

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:02:00 +0200

The International Design Museum in Munich launched a debut exhibition on Thursday dedicated to the concept of “democratic design” as seen through the lens of IKEA, the world’s biggest furniture store.