Vila i frid, Ingvar Kamprad*

Very few people have genuinely revolutionized retail. However, Ingvar Kamprad did. 

Today we take IKEA, and the things it does, for granted. Yet when Ingvar founded it, IKEA was markedly different to anything that had existed in retail. Much of this difference was down to Ingvar's Swedish heritage and instincts - and to his pioneering spirit.

At heart, he believed that home furnishings should be democratic; that people of all income levels should be able to afford to decorate and furnish their homes stylishly and comfortably.

As noble as his aim was, he needed to find a way of reaching it. At the time, most furniture was bulky, took time to produce, and was expensive to buy. An entirely different model was needed. And Ingvar developed it, always sticking to his principles of thrift and efficiency.

The revolutionary idea of flat-pack furniture allowed IKEA to meet the needs and aspirations of everyday people at reasonable prices. Distributing flat-pack was much more efficient and economical than shipping fully made items. It also divided the effort - prices were lower because the customer had to assemble the product; that was the trade-off or compromise.

It is no exaggeration to say that Ingvar's innovative approach changed not just the furniture sector, but the way people decorated and led their lives at home. 

In his lifetime, IKEA grew from very small beginnings to the largest furniture retailer in the world. The global reach of IKEA now means that hundreds of millions of people around the world have been touched by Ingvar's ideas and his principles.

Despite his success, Ingvar always remained humble. He was always listening, always learning, always thinking of new ways to serve the customer. That open culture is one that still permeates IKEA to this day. It is one of the reasons for the chain's success.

Thanks to the company he built, Ingvar Kamprad is arguably one of Sweden's most successful ambassadors and exporters of its culture. That, and the furniture which has been the backdrop to the lives of so many, is his legacy.

* Vila i frid is Swedish for Rest in Peace.