IKEA is a leading retailer supplying customers with low-cost and high-quality home furnishing options. Due to their business expansion, customers may wonder if similar retailer JYSK has any connection to IKEA.
Frequent visitors to IKEA may be wondering if JYSK is owned by IKEA, what the two brands have in common, and more. I’ve looked into it, and here is what I have learned about IKEA and its relation to JYSK.
Is JYSK Owned By IKEA?
While both IKEA and JYSK are Scandinavian-based furniture stores, IKEA does not own JYSK. IKEA and JYSK are competing brands that both specialize in household goods and interior décor. While both companies sell similar products, JYSK is not owned by IKEA.
Keep reading for more information on IKEA and JYSK, including who owns both stores, how and why they are similar, and which retailer customers believe is better!
What is JYSK?
Similar to IKEA, JYSK is a Scandinavian retail store specializing in furniture, home goods, and décor that was founded in 1979. JYSK is a Danish retailer rather than a Swedish retailer like IKEA.
JYSK has around 3000 stores in 51 countries, employing over 26,500 people. Comparatively, IKEA has 446 stores in 52 countries, employing around 220,000 people.
As for who owns them, JYSK is owned by the Lars Larsen Group, which also owns other companies, including the Actona Company, Bolia.com, and ILVA, which are all furniture companies.
On average, JYSK makes around €4.1 billion annually, whereas IKEA makes around €11.7 billion annually.
Is IKEA a JYSK?
IKEA is not a JYSK, as the two are separate companies. IKEA was established in 1943 in Sweden, whereas JYSK was not opened until 1979, over 30 years later.
IKEA and JYSK are both Scandinavian retailers in origin and sell similar home goods and products, but neither company owns the other and instead are competitors in their shared store territories.
What Does JYSK Stand For?
JYSK means ‘Jutlandic’, and the first store was opened in Silkeborgvej in the Danish city of Aarhus.
The JYSK logo displays a goose historically relevant to the brand. JYSK is pronounced ‘Yisk’.
When compared to IKRA, the IKEA name came from the founder Ingvar Kamprad, the farm where he grew up, Elmtaryd, and the nearby village of Agunnaryd, which forms the acronym IKEA.
Is IKEA Similar to JYSK?
Online shoppers have stated that IKEA and JYSK are similar stores, providing homeware goods such as beds, drawers, bookshelves, kitchen supplies, and other decorative items.
It has been reported that JYSK is cheaper than IKEA for some of its similar furniture options, but the quality differs.
Who Makes JYSK Furniture?
While IKEA designs and manufactures its own furniture, JYSK purchases its furniture from third-party retailers to offer innovative designs.
Additionally, JYSK has been known to replicate some of IKEA’s designs, including the notable BILLY bookcase.
For shoppers on a budget, JYSK has a Danny bookcase with similar dimensions that retails for around 15% less than the IKEA design.
Is JYSK Better than IKEA?
While JYSK and IKEA offer similar products at competitive prices, their store experiences are entirely different and operative with different motivations.
JYSK purchases third-party furniture to sell in their stores for lower prices, leading to increased popularity among customers.
However, online shoppers have reported that JYSK furniture is often of lower quality and not as durable as IKEA products.
Certain JYSK furniture pieces have been described as fragile and weak.
Yet, JYSK does have a notably growing popularity among customers, as shown through their store expansion, as some of their products are firm favorites for lower prices than are offered in IKEA.
Compared to IKEA, they aim to make their stores an experience, featuring notable amenities like the restaurant and the café which are popular with customers in their own right.
JYSK prefers the traditional retail premise of a store and does not aim to make customer visits an experience.
If you want to find out more about IKEA, you can also read our related guide on IKEA’s target market, if IKEA is ethical, and the IKEA price match policy.
Conclusion
The Danish retailer JYSK is not owned by the Swedish retailer IKEA. Both JYSK and IKEA sell similar homeware products and accessories at competitive prices, which has led to their popularity with customers.
IKEA and JYSK are competitive retailers who aim to entice customers through their own unique experiences. IKEA offers iconic furniture pieces and an experience through their stores with amenities like a café, where JYSK focuses on lower prices and traditional store experiences.
