Problem:
Question 1) By the early 1970s IKEA had established itself as the largest furniture retailer in Sweden. What was the source of its competitive advantage at that time?
Question 2) Why do you think IKEA's expansion into Europe went so well? Why did the company subsequently stumble into North America? What lessons did IKEA learn from this experience? How is the company applying these lessons?
Question 3) How would you characterize IKEA's strategy prior to its missteps in North America? How would you characterize its strategy today?
Question 4) What is IKEA's strategy towards its suppliers? How important is this strategy to IKEA's success?
Question 5) What is the source of IKEA's success today? Can you see any weakness in the company? What might it do to correct these?
Provide thorough explanation of every question given in the problem.