The Frakta (stylized as FRAKTA) is a reusable tote bag manufactured by IKEA. [1] [2]
In the 1960's, IKEA started selling smaller home furnishing products such as tea lights, glasses, duvet covers, etc. IKEA's creator, Ingvar Kamprad and his assistant Sten Lundén wanted a way to help customers carry smaller items home. [3] Kamprad studied customers at the store and he wanted a bag that can be carried on their shoulder, hung from a shopping cart, and carried in the hand.
On a trip to Taiwan, Kamprad and The head of purchasing, Lars Göran Peterson (commonly known by his initials, LGP) found a suitable manufacturer to make the bag. They specified that the bag be able to hold 50 kg and large enough to carry wallpaper-rolls. [3] Soon after, IKEA released the yellow bag which was a precursor to the FRAKTA, only be able to be used in stores. Kamprad wanted two different bags in order to differentiate which bags could be purchased, and which could not. The yellow bag is kept for store-use only, and the blue bag can be purchased and taken home. [3]
The FRAKTA is a large Polypropylene, 19-gallon, blue tote bag; it is 13 3/4 inches tall, 21 3/4 inches long and 14 1/2 inches wide. The most notable feature of the bag is the price and its versatility. The bag costs 99-cents and can be re-used indefinitely because is easily cleaned and durable. It can hold up to 55 lbs [4]
IKEA also sells similar products with the same FRAKTA name such as a smaller 10-gallon bag which can also hold up to 55 lbs [5] and a cooler bag designed for keeping food cold. [6]
IKEA Singapore has introduced a padded version of its iconic Frakta carrier bag, called Resten, which doubles as a pillow for convenience while traveling. This multi-functional bag was launched in Singapore, a country noted for its high levels of sleep deprivation. [7]
In 2017, The designer brand Balenciaga created a bag that shares a striking resemblance to the FRAKTA bag which cost $2,145 and is marketed as an extra large shopper tote. [8] However, Balenciaga's bag has some differences, like a zipper closure which isn't on the FRAKTA bag. [9]
An IKEA spokesperson told TODAY that IKEA was "deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!" [10] IKEA also made various ads responding to the designer bag. The ads told customers how to identify if it's an original FRAKTA bag and suggested customers just to get the original. [11]
Inter IKEA Systems B.V., trading as IKEA, is a Swedish multinational conglomerate that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad and currently legally headquartered in the Netherlands, IKEA has been the world's largest furniture retailer since 2008. The brand name is an acronym of founder Ingvar Kamprad's initials; Elmtaryd, the family farm where Kamprad was born; and the nearby village of Agunnaryd, Kamprad's hometown in Småland.
Carrs–Safeway is a supermarket chain that is based in Anchorage, Alaska, and is a subsidiary of Albertsons. It was acquired in April 1999 by former parent Safeway from an employee ownership group, who itself had purchased the company from founder Larry Carr and his partner Barney Gottstein in 1990.
Ikano Bank is a consumer finance bank established in 1995 by Ingvar Kamprad. It offers loans, savings accounts and partner business supplying sales finance to large retailers, including IKEA, Volkswagen, Audi, Lindex, Hemtex, Skoda, Shell and Preem.
A handbag, commonly known as a purse in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. It has also been called a pocketbook in parts of the U.S.
Plastic shopping bags, carrier bags, or plastic grocery bags are a type of plastic bag used as shopping bags and made from various kinds of plastic. In use by consumers worldwide since the 1960s, these bags are sometimes called single-use bags, referring to carrying items from a store to a home. However, it is rare for bags to be worn out after single use and in the past some retailers incentivised customers to reuse 'single use' bags by offering loyalty points to those doing so. Even after they are no longer used for shopping, reuse of these bags for storage or trash is common, and modern plastic shopping bags are increasingly recyclable or compostable - at the Co-op for example. In recent decades, numerous countries have introduced legislation restricting the provision of plastic bags, in a bid to reduce littering and plastic pollution.
Shopping bags are medium-sized bags, typically around 10–20 litres in volume, that are used by shoppers to carry home their purchases. Some are intended as single-use disposable products, though people may reuse them for storage or as bin liners, etc.; others are designed as reusable shopping bags.
Youthquake was a 1960s cultural movement. The term was coined by Vogue magazine's editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland in 1965. Youthquake involved music and pop culture, and it changed the landscape of the fashion industry. The movement is characterized by looking to youth culture for a source of inspiration, taking dominance away from the English and Parisian couture houses.
An It bag is a high-priced designer handbag that has become a popular best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the fashion industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered "It bags" are Chanel, Hermès and Fendi.
A reusable shopping bag, sometimes called a bag for life in the UK, is a type of shopping bag which can be reused many times, in contrast to single-use paper or plastic shopping bags. It is often a tote bag made from fabric such as canvas, natural fibres such as jute, woven synthetic fibers, or a thick plastic that is more durable than disposable plastic bags, allowing multiple use. Other shoppers may use a string bag or a wheeled trolley bag. They are often sold in supermarkets and apparel shops.
A bag is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo,paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibers, folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material. Bags can be used to carry items such as personal belongings, groceries, and other objects. They comes in various shapes and sizes, often equipped with handles or straps for easier carrying.
Valextra is a brand of luxury leather goods and accessories based in Milan, Italy. The name is a portmanteau of "Valigia", the Italian word for suitcase, and "extra".
3D publishing concerns the production and distribution of content for 3D printers. 3D publishing holds the promise of an industry for the creation and distribution of files for the production of 3D objects, or physibles.
Draper James is a clothing line launched by actress Reese Witherspoon, founded in 2015. A nod to Witherspoon’s Southern upbringing, the line aims to "emphasize [Witherspoon's] southern roots and personal style". The name is in honor of Witherspoon’s grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon.
Proposition 67 was a California ballot proposition on the November 8, 2016 ballot. A "Yes" vote was to approve, and a "No" vote to reject, a statute that prohibits grocery and other stores from providing customers single–use plastic or paper carryout bags but permits the sale of recycled paper bags and reusable bags for a fee.
Off-White is an Italian luxury fashion house founded by American designer Virgil Abloh. The company was incorporated in Milan in 2013.
Global furniture and homeware retailer IKEA has been criticized for various issues, including their raw material sourcing, the size of their stores, the impact of their stores on local communities, legal violations, and unfair or discriminatory business practices, among others.
The IKEA Foundation is a Dutch not-for-profit organisation founded in 1982 by Ingvar Kamprad as a means to support advancement in interior design and architecture. In 2009, the Foundation's charter was expanded to benefit vulnerable children. In 2018, the Foundation shifted its focus to supporting the development of sustainable livelihoods and combatting climate change. The Foundation is led by chief executive officer Jessica Anderen. In 2022, it provided €268.2 million in grants.
Telfar Clemens is a Liberian-American fashion designer and the founder of the fashion label Telfar. Clemens has won the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the CFDA American Accessories 2019, and the CFDA American Accessories 2020.
Blåhaj is a plush toy manufactured and sold by the Swedish company IKEA. Modeled after a blue shark and made of recycled polyester, the toy has gained prominence on social media as a popular internet meme, especially in the transgender community, and has also been used as a mascot by IKEA in some regions.