One configuration of Ikea's popular Expedit shelving unit.
Record collectors are upset over Ikea’s reported decision to discontinue its Expedit line of shelving. The shelving, which is configured in a grid pattern, has enjoyed a cult following among DJs and record collectors because its dimensions are ideal for storing old vinyl. The news surfaced last month in Germany on the site’s Facebook page. An online group campaigning to save the shelving unit has more than 19,000 likes on Facebook.
The Swedish company is planning to replace the old unit with a new line dubbed Kallax, which is almost identical thought it has thinner sides and rounded edges. Some record collectors fear the thinner version won’t be able to support the huge number of records previous versions could. Ikea has responded to the outcry by reassuring record collectors that the Kallax replacement will have the same internal dimensions and load support.
Ikea has set an ambitious goal of reaching some $68 billion in sales by 2020. The world’s largest retailer reported a 3.2% revenue increase to $39 billion in fiscal 2013, bolstered by robust sales in the U.S. and expansion in China and Russia. In January, the company’s new chief executive, Peter Agnefjäll, told the Wall Street Journal Ikea would continue focusing on optimizing its stores to reach its sales goals.