ILVA
Encyclopedia
ILVA is a furniture store founded in Denmark
in 1974.
The company opened its first overseas store in Malmö
, Sweden
in 2005, and in 2006 it opened three UK stores (in Manchester
, Thurrock
and Gateshead
). Their first store in Iceland
opened on 4 October 2008 in Reykjavík
.
The internationalisation of ILVA reverses the common trend of retail internationalisation offered by literature. ILVA, rather than making acquisitions of other stores, was acquired by Martin Toogood in 2003, with a view to internationalise into the UK. Martin Toogood believed that there was a gap in the UK middle market of furniture retailing.
store in 2006. It planned to open stores close to existing IKEA
stores in order to boost their customer base.
In July 2007 the Daily Telegraph reported that the company had run up losses of £11.5 million.
The store was sold to the Icelandic retail group Rúmfatalagerinn in August 2007, but losses continued to mount as the company was losing £2.33 for every £1 taken.
In March and April 2008 their Manchester
store was attacked by criminals firing ball bearings at the windows. There were two separate attacks which cost the business £10,000 due to the size of the windows which had been attacked.
On 25 June 2008, ILVA placed its UK business into administration. On 18 July 2008 the joint administrators announced that they had been unable to secure a buyer for the business after an interested party withdrew at the last minute and that all three stores would close over the following six to twelve weeks. A closing down sale started immediately to sell as much stock as possible. Recovery specialists Kroll brought the closing date forward as stock reduced. ILVA closed its doors in the UK on Sunday 7 September 2008.
In February 2009 the Danish company IDdesign, who also owns the furniture chain IDEmøbler, bought ILVA with the objective to establish the leading furniture chain in Scandinavia. ILVA and IDEmøbler will continue as individual brands with individual management teams.
In March 2011 ILVA in Denmark opened a fourth furniture house, in Kolding, Jutland. Despite turbulent years, ILVA in Denmark remains a trend setting, major player in danish furniture retail.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1974.
The company opened its first overseas store in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 2005, and in 2006 it opened three UK stores (in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Thurrock
Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
and Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
). Their first store in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
opened on 4 October 2008 in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
The internationalisation of ILVA reverses the common trend of retail internationalisation offered by literature. ILVA, rather than making acquisitions of other stores, was acquired by Martin Toogood in 2003, with a view to internationalise into the UK. Martin Toogood believed that there was a gap in the UK middle market of furniture retailing.
United Kingdom operations
ILVA opened its first United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
store in 2006. It planned to open stores close to existing IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
stores in order to boost their customer base.
In July 2007 the Daily Telegraph reported that the company had run up losses of £11.5 million.
The store was sold to the Icelandic retail group Rúmfatalagerinn in August 2007, but losses continued to mount as the company was losing £2.33 for every £1 taken.
In March and April 2008 their Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
store was attacked by criminals firing ball bearings at the windows. There were two separate attacks which cost the business £10,000 due to the size of the windows which had been attacked.
On 25 June 2008, ILVA placed its UK business into administration. On 18 July 2008 the joint administrators announced that they had been unable to secure a buyer for the business after an interested party withdrew at the last minute and that all three stores would close over the following six to twelve weeks. A closing down sale started immediately to sell as much stock as possible. Recovery specialists Kroll brought the closing date forward as stock reduced. ILVA closed its doors in the UK on Sunday 7 September 2008.
In February 2009 the Danish company IDdesign, who also owns the furniture chain IDEmøbler, bought ILVA with the objective to establish the leading furniture chain in Scandinavia. ILVA and IDEmøbler will continue as individual brands with individual management teams.
In March 2011 ILVA in Denmark opened a fourth furniture house, in Kolding, Jutland. Despite turbulent years, ILVA in Denmark remains a trend setting, major player in danish furniture retail.