How does IKEA come up with names for its products? • Hacker News Board

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#11

Post by deadbunny » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:50 PM UTC

bcaulfield wrote: post #3

Amazing. A post asks a question in the title that I actually want answered, and then goes on to answer that question clearly and succinctly. Maybe the best corporate content I've seen this year.

May I introduce you to the UK chain Iceland and their stance on management consultants?

https://about.iceland.co.uk/our-story/the-dark-ages/beware-m...

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#12

Post by tstenner » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:52 PM UTC

elwell wrote: post #10

joshdavham wrote: post #9

> preferably contain the letters Å, Ä or Ö Yes, but why prefer these letters? I don’t know Swedish. Is it because these diacritics make the names seem more exotic?

Yës

You mean öf cårse?

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#13

Post by fy20 » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:52 PM UTC

For a Swede it must seem kind of strange to understand the product names. You see an ACORN toy, a NIGEL bookshelf, and the CROYDON sofa... which sounds like it belongs in a council estate flat.

Definately more fun would be the Polish version. How many people can pronounce the BYDGOSZCZ sofa, the PRZEMYSŁAW bookcase and the PSZCZOŁA soft toy?

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#14

Post by joshdavham » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:54 PM UTC

tstenner wrote: post #12

elwell wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yës

You mean öf cårse?

Håhåhåhå

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#15

Post by tverbeure » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:56 PM UTC

> Every possible product name is carefully checked to avoid undesirable meanings in other languages, political or religious affiliations and fit into our global profile.

I love the JERKER desk that I bought 26 years ago, so I assume this rule must be younger than that.

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#16

Post by ButlerianJihad » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:56 PM UTC

joshdavham wrote: post #9

> preferably contain the letters Å, Ä or Ö Yes, but why prefer these letters? I don’t know Swedish. Is it because these diacritics make the names seem more exotic?

röck döts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_umlaut

A møøse once bit my sister...

Re: How does IKEA come up with names for its products?

#17

Post by RugnirViking » Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:57 PM UTC

fy20 wrote: post #13

For a Swede it must seem kind of strange to understand the product names. You see an ACORN toy, a NIGEL bookshelf, and the CROYDON sofa... which sounds like it belongs in a council estate flat. Definately more fun would be the Polish version. How many people can pronounce the BYDGOSZCZ sofa, the PRZEMYSŁAW bookcase and the PSZCZOŁA soft toy?

its not all that strange tbh - im learning danish which is adjacent enough to swedish that I can understand most of the names - sometimes they aren't relevant to the product function, sometimes they are, but they're just names. Is it strange to you that the word "photoshop" uses english language? what about a Hamburger being named after a place?