A few months ago I happened to be at IKEA with my Girlfriend and while she was showing me some furnishings for the guest bedroom my mind started to drift. I start thinking that I would be awesome if IKEA sold authentic Swedish Snus at their stores. I know that this all sounds kind of outlandish and arbitrary, however, I was thinking that Snus is a high quality product from Sweden so why not sell some there to keep some of us “dragging-feet” patrons entertained. Also, a few weeks ago I found out that IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, does in fact use Snus ( http://int.swedish-snus.com/profile/pressarticles/read/id/15/) Anyone else think this is a cool idea or am I just weird?

I’d love that. After all, they do sell other Swedish products, like the salt licorice, which is presumably an acquired taste. I have a feeling that it would end up being PR issue once a journalist in need of a story found out about it.

I have a feeling that it would end up being PR issue once a journalist in need of a story found out about it.

That is a variable that I have not considered. I think maybe if the General public was more educated about Swedish Snus, the whole PR thing would not be an issue. However, it would be a long and difficult road, because soon as you use the word tobacco in the USA no matter what you say after that is considered valid or acceptable. Although plenty of Americans endanger their lives and health on a daily basis without tobacco being involved. I think this rubbish about all tobacco being equal mentality in America needs to be abolished.

Well from the perspective of their neighbouring country I have to say even up here (if not especially up here), from our legal point of view and what we are used to - that sounds ridiculously impossible. One doesnt merely sell tobacco at any store, there are many legal ramifications around the selling of tobacco, one must have a license to do so and I suspect only grocery stores, gas stations, kiosks and tobacco stores are allowed to aquire such a license to begin with. There are already strict laws governing the opening hours of different types of stores; and a product such as tobacco which even needs to be hidden from the naked eye at stores (hidden in fridges which arent see-through) would definately be a problem in this picture. I know snus at Ikea would cause hysteria in the papers here for sure. I could predict Norway banning that from Ikeas Norwegian department. Im sure Ikea wouldn’t risk it even just for the sake of their reputation. Edit: reading the other comment here, the social Scandinavian view point towards snus is much milder than the American where it has been stigmatized way beyond logic, but the regulations around it are more or less the same it seems.

@peter77 it’s funny you would create this thread. I was with my father, who is also my boss at my job, and we were at my local IKEA store looking for shelving for our store and when we were checking out I asked the cashier if they sold snus. She didn’t know what I was talking about so I explained and she said, “you would think we might, but sorry we don’t”. lol I think it would be cool if they did sell it there, you know, something besides just General which is relatively easy to find in the US.

I have it on good authority, who I can’t name publicly, that Mr. Kamprad is indeed a snus user. Ettan if I remember right. I ws also told his personal snus is free. He refuses to sell it in IKEA, in Sweden, because he can’t buy it at as low a price as he wants, to maximize his profits. In the US the laws would be tough to follow, with every state having different rules, on top of the Federal rules. It’s all hear-say to begin with, so take it with a grain of salt, but he does use snus.

It’s illegal to sell snus anywhere in the EU with the exception of Sweden, so if you are talking about IKEA stores anywhere else in Europe apart from Sweden then they couldn’t stock it even if they wanted to (or indeed knew what it was!).

The Ikea in Yokohama Japan sells both beer and wine from Sweden, along with a wide range of foods. Perhaps it is because of the Japanese attitudes towards alcohol that ‘permits it’. As for selling tobacco in a US located shop- as Mario84 noted it is a complicated but doable matter in most states, but I suspect it would not be well received given attitudes of some folks there. With all the hyperbole and anti-tobacco rhetoric I suspect US based Ikea shops would not do it unless and until they did fairly comprehensive assessment of how well it would go over. Though folks sometimes surprise even me and they could embrace it simply because its foreign, trendy, different, or for whatever reason they needed to justify “allowing” it.

Dam I was excited. I thought Ikea was selling snus. And who are these people who pass laws saying you can’t buy the least harm tobacco product on the planet? Who gave them the power.

@basement_shaman I’m sorry about the false alarm. This thread is more wishful thinking on my part than reality. Damn, I would be happy if they sold snus.

It’s illegal to sell snus anywhere in the EU with the exception of Sweden, so if you are talking about IKEA stores anywhere else in Europe apart from Sweden then they couldn’t stock it even if they wanted to (or indeed knew what it was!).

Not every country in Europe is a part of EU. Well, at least Norway isn’t… *knock on wood*