Catch up TV

Series 1: Episode 2

IKEA is not like any other company - the Swedish furniture retailer is driven by a powerful philosophy, to 'create a better everyday life for the many people', and with 900 million customers a year, this series goes behind the scenes to find the secret to its global success. With unprecedented access to IKEA's design studios, factories, test labs and stores over the course of a year, we get to know the people who work for the famous company, and explore how they are opening up and massively expanding around the world.\n\nIn episode two, we see what it takes to get new products from initial design to stores around the world. One of IKEA's newest designers, Hanna-Kaarina Heikkila, wants to challenge mass production by creating an 'imperfect vase' that has the finger-marks of the creator - she travels to China to see if her idea is possible.\n\nWe visit the home of the Billy bookcase to see what it takes to be a supplier for IKEA, as they try to pitch for a new range of wardrobes. Will they pass the stringent tests that the company demands? And we see what it takes to open a new store in Sheffield, recruiting hundreds of new co-workers who need to display the unique culture and values of the company. But with delays to construction, will the store open on time?

Source: BBC 2