Home Centre vs IKEA: Founders, CEOs and History
Home Centre was founded in 1995 by Micky Jagtiani, Renuka Jagtiani and is led by Arja Taaveniku. IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad and is led by Juvencio Maeztu.
Company facts
Home Centre
- Founded
- 1995
- Headquarters
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Current CEO
- Arja Taaveniku
IKEA
- Founded
- 1943
- Headquarters
- Delft, Netherlands (Inter IKEA) / Leiden, Netherlands (INGKA)
- Current CEO
- Juvencio Maeztu
- Employees
- 222,000
Founders
Home Centre
Micky Jagtiani
Mukesh 'Micky' Jagtiani founded Landmark Group with a single store in Bahrain in 1973 and built it into one of the Middle East's largest retail groups. Home Centre was launched under the group in 1995. He died in 2023.
Renuka Jagtiani
Renuka Jagtiani is Chairwoman of Landmark Group. She served as CEO of Landmark Retail until 2022, when Kabir Lumba took over the role.
IKEA
Ingvar Kamprad
IKEA possesses a unique, frugal founding story, rooted in the harsh, demanding agricultural environment of rural Sweden and the lifelong obsession of a single, eccentric entrepreneur with driving down costs.
CEOs and their tenures
Home Centre
- Arja Taaveniku
Chief Executive Officer, Home Centre
Former independent non-executive director of UK homewares retailer Dunelm (stepped down end-2024).
Source - Sameer Jain
Former CEO, Home Centre; CEO of New Businesses, Landmark Group
As CEO of Home Centre he oversaw a network reported at 125 stores across eight countries in 2023.
Source - Renuka Jagtiani
Chairwoman, Landmark Group
Oversees Landmark Group, Home Centre's parent.
Source - Sitaram Kumar2022–2025
Former CEO, Home Centre India
Helped build Home Centre into a national omnichannel home retailer in India.
Source - Jayanti Ganguly2025–present
Chief Executive Officer, Home Centre India
Previously led the fashion portfolio at Myntra and the fashion and home portfolio at Flipkart Wholesale; earlier at Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.
Source
IKEA
- Jesper Brodin2017–2025
Former CEO, Ingka Group
Brodin's pragmatic, strategic leadership effectively modernized the historic retailer for the digital age.
Source - Juvencio Maeztu2025–present
CEO and President, Ingka Group
Leads Ingka Group, which reported ~$46.9B (EUR 41.5B) revenue and ~$1.58B (EUR 1.4B) net profit in FY2025, with a focus on speed, low cost, and simplicity, smaller store formats, and affordability.
Source
Timeline: Home Centre and IKEA side by side
1943IKEA
Founding of IKEA
Ingvar Kamprad registered the company IKEA at the age of 17, initially operating as a mail-order business selling matches, seeds, and greeting cards from his family farm in Småland, Sweden.
1948IKEA
Expansion into Furniture
IKEA added furniture to its mail-order catalog, recognizing the unmet demand for affordable home furnishings in rural Sweden, a move that would eventually become the core of the company's global business.
1953IKEA
First IKEA Showroom
Ingvar Kamprad opened the first permanent IKEA showroom in Älmhult, allowing consumers to see, touch, and test the furniture before ordering, an influential concept that bypassed the traditional furniture distribution network.
1956IKEA
Introduction of Flat-Pack Furniture
Following an incident where a designer sawed the legs off a table to fit it in his car, IKEA pioneered the flat-pack furniture concept, reducing shipping costs and enabling the company to offer low prices.
1958IKEA
Opening of the First IKEA Store
The first permanent, large-format IKEA store opened in Älmhult, Sweden, showcasing the company's entire product range in realistic room settings and establishing the foundation for the global retail empire.
1963IKEA
International Expansion to Norway
IKEA opened its first store outside of Sweden in Asker, Norway, marking the beginning of its aggressive international expansion across Scandinavia and eventually the rest of the world.
1985IKEA
Entry into the US Market
IKEA opened its first US stores in the Washington D.C. area, initiating an expansion into the North American market that would eventually become one of the company's largest and most profitable regions.
1986IKEA
Ingvar Kamprad Steps Down as CEO
Ingvar Kamprad stepped down as CEO of IKEA, handing the reins to a new generation of professional management, though he remained the ultimate owner and strategic of the company until his death.
1995Home Centre
First Home Centre store opens in Sharjah: Landmark Group launches Home Centre in Sharjah, UAE, as a one-stop format for furniture and home furnishings.
2000IKEA
Launch of IKEA.com
IKEA launched online shopping in its first markets, beginning a long shift toward e-commerce, which reached 28% of retail sales in FY2025.
2005Home Centre
Entry into India: Home Centre opens its first Indian store in Chennai, later growing to about 90 stores in 40 cities.
2017Home Centre
homecentre.com launches in India: Home Centre India moves into omnichannel retail with the launch of homecentre.com.
2017IKEA
Jesper Brodin Appointed CEO
Jesper Brodin was appointed CEO of INGKA Holding B.V., initiating a rigorous strategic transformation plan focused on omnichannel expansion, city-center formats, and circular economy initiatives.
2022Home Centre
New brand identity and 79,000 sq ft UAE flagship: Home Centre launches a new identity with the 'Inspired By You' campaign and opens its largest UAE store with six apartment set-ups.
2024IKEA
Price cuts and ~$51B (EUR 45.1B) retail sales
IKEA lowered prices on thousands of products in FY2024; total retail sales were ~$51B (EUR 45.1B), down from ~$53.8B (EUR 47.6B), as visits and volumes recovered.
2025Home Centre
Jayanti Ganguly named CEO of Home Centre India: Former Myntra and Flipkart executive Jayanti Ganguly takes over Home Centre India from Sitaram Kumar on 1 September 2025.
2025IKEA
Juvencio Maeztu becomes Ingka CEO
Juvencio Maeztu succeeded Jesper Brodin as CEO and President of Ingka Group. FY2025 IKEA retail sales were ~$50.4B (EUR 44.6B).
2026Home Centre
In-house design and omnichannel push: CEO Arja Taaveniku sets out a Middle East strategy built on distinctive in-house design and seamless store-to-online shopping.
2026IKEA
~$1.36B (EUR 1.2B) European price investment
Ingka, other franchisees, and Inter IKEA invested ~$1.36B (EUR 1.2B) to cut prices across Europe from 1 September 2026, after Inter IKEA announced about 850 job cuts in May.
Acquisitions
Home Centre
No verified acquisitions are listed.
IKEA
- Ikano Bank (full ownership)2025Undisclosed
- Livspace (minority investment)2021Undisclosed
- Geomagical Labs2020Undisclosed
- TaskRabbit2017Undisclosed
Questions about Home Centre vs IKEA
Who is the CEO of Home Centre and IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.)?
Home Centre is led by Arja Taaveniku and IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) is led by Juvencio Maeztu. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Home Centre founded vs IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.)?
IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) was founded in 1943 — 52 years before Home Centre, which was founded in 1995. IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.)'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Home Centre.
How many employees does Home Centre have compared to IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.)?
IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) employs approximately 222,000 people. A verified employee count for Home Centre is not currently available.
Where are Home Centre and IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) headquartered?
Home Centre is headquartered in United Arab Emirates and IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) is headquartered in Netherlands. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Home Centre and IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.)?
Home Centre was founded by Micky Jagtiani, Renuka Jagtiani. IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) was founded by Ingvar Kamprad.
Which company has a longer operating history — Home Centre or IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.)?
IKEA Group (INGKA Holding B.V.) has been operating for approximately 83 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Home Centre has been in operation for around 31 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Home Centre vs IKEA overview