What to know
- A Toronto-based Swedish influencer calls out IKEA for what she says are mistranslations and cultural missteps in store signage and product wording.
- IKEA defends its naming system, saying its product names follow a long-standing Scandinavian naming system created by founder Ingvar Kamprad, using words from across the region (including Danish and Norwegian) to give items a “meaningful, memorable identity.”
- While some viewers agreed the translations looked off, others defended IKEA, noting that global branding rules come from the company’s Swedish headquarters and aren’t controlled by individual stores.
An influencer who moved from Sweden to Toronto is criticizing IKEA Canada’s signage translations, but the furniture company is defending its Scandinavian roots.
Local content creator Klaudia Lennerling posted the video on TikTok, garnering more than 58,000 views.
@klaudialennerling I have a bone to pick with @IKEACanada #ikea #toronto #facetime #swedentiktok #torontolife ♬ original sound – Klaudia | 🇸🇪 in 🇨🇦
In the video, Lennerling shares that she has “a bone to pick” with IKEA and that “everything is wrong” after her experience at the downtown Toronto location.
“I’m just so irritated because IKEA is my place of peace, and now they made me upset,” she said in the video, showing her love for the company with the tiny wallet-sized version of an IKEA bag she carries daily.
Lennerling included photos inside her video of the translation mistakes. The first one: “Hygge,” to which she explains is a Danish word.
One commenter didn’t agree, explaining to her that “Hygge” is also a Norwegian word, showing that IKEA reflects its Scandinavian values.
But that’s not all — Lennerling included a second photo of signage outside, saying that the word “smaskig” in the sentence would translate to “lip yummy good” in Swedish.
“I swear to God they Google Translated things and just wished for the best,” she complained.
Lennerling continued that they should consult a Swede, and that she’d “do it for free,” as long as they “don’t disrespect [her] culture like that.”
Now Toronto reached out to IKEA Canada, to which the company replied, “At IKEA, our product names follow a long‑standing, carefully organized system rooted in Scandinavian words and places, which is why you’ll sometimes see Danish words.”
With over 10,000 products, its naming team draws from dictionaries, atlases, birth announcements, and themed word groups. That includes Scandinavian boys’ or girls’ names, lakes, plants, and islands. IKEA Canada says it does this “to make sure every item has a meaningful, memorable identity.”
The statement added, “IKEA product names must meet a certain length requirement, be culturally appropriate across all our markets, and never overlap with inappropriate language.”
The company explained that this thoughtful process began with its founder, Ingvar Kamprad, and that this practice continues to bring character, consistency, and a touch of Swedish heritage to homes around the world.
Now Toronto reached out to Lennerling for a response to IKEA’s statement and did not receive a reply in time for publication.
Lennerling’s video sparked an online reaction.
One TikTok user said, “LOL this is so educational,” and another cringed, “Canada IKEA is so embarrassing.”
But others disagreed with Lennerling, with one user saying, “[To be honest], I have a bone to pick with IKEA in Sweden as a Swede xD.”
Lennerling’s video also caught the attention of a former IKEA Canada employee, who commented, “IKEA stores all around the world are mandated to follow designs curated and approved by Global (Sweden, aka Headquarters). Even if they wanted, they could not custom-make graphics with the way the systems are. Sorry you feel discouraged, but it’s really all controlled by IKEA Sweden. Hope this helps! We love the Swedes.”
IKEA Canada told Now Toronto, “While a database helps track what’s in use or ready for reuse, many iconic names—like KLIPPAN or BILLY—will never change.”
