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IKEA is a well-known home furniture retailer with stores throughout the world. It was started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad when he was given some money by his father for doing well at school. He wanted to produce furniture at a price that people could afford to buy. He realised that transporting furniture to customers was difficult as goods were often damaged. He developed flat packs to avoid damage. A flat pack contained all the materials needed to self-assemble a table, a chair or a bed. All IKEA stores are run as franchises.