The Soft Toy 'Gift That Gives Back' Is 50% Off At All IKEA Stores This Weekend

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s here! Black Friday weekend - the long holiday weekend when enthusiastic shoppers are looking for that great find, that great deal! And when you’re looking for that special children’s gift, IKEA has the perfect offering: plush, cuddly soft toys – and children’s books - that are 50% off between November 23-25. Also with each purchase, there is heartfelt purpose - for this is a gift that gives back. Through the IKEA Foundation Soft Toys for Education Campaign (www.IKEAfoundation.org), IKEA donates one euro ($1.30) to Save the Children’s (www.savethechildren.net) and UNICEF’s (www.unicef.org) children’s education programs in developing countries.

“Soft Toys are a great way for IKEA customers to give in the holiday spirit, while making a difference in the lives of many children who will have access to a quality education”

This year´s Soft Toys for Education Campaign (November 4 – December 29) aims to provide quality education to children living in need in developing countries. Since the campaign started in 2003, donations from the annual IKEA Soft Toy Campaign have totalled €47.5 million (over $61 million), helping 8 million children in more than 40 countries enjoy their right to a quality education.

IKEA Soft Toys range in price from $.49 - $19.99. During the 3-day Thanksgiving weekend sale (Nov. 23-25) they will be 50% off. One can purchase adorable KLAPPAR Circus Clown Dog for $2.49 (reg. $4.99), the TORVA Mr. Broccoli for $4.99 (reg. $9.99) or large KLAPPAR Elephant for $7.49 (reg. $14.99), plus so many others from this extensive adorable collection. New to the soft toys family this year are forest friends from the VANDRING series, like a hedgehog, a bear and an owl hand puppet that encourage caring about our environment. Plus, they’re characters in the IKEA FAMILY children’s book, The Hedgehog Leaves Home, written by Ulf Stark and illustrated by Ann-Cathrine.

Funds donated to Save the Children will support projects to educate the most marginalized children, including ethnic minorities and those with disabilities and special needs in Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Lithuania and Romania. Funds donated to UNICEF will support UNICEF’s Schools for Africa initiative to provide a quality education to children in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, South Africa and Malawi.

“Soft Toys are a great way for IKEA customers to give in the holiday spirit, while making a difference in the lives of many children who will have access to a quality education,” noted Mike Ward, IKEA US President.

About IKEA:

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings company, was founded in 1943 in Sweden. Since then, IKEA, the Life Improvement Store has offered home furnishings and accessories of great design and quality with functional living solutions at everyday low prices. Currently there are more than 298 IKEA Group stores in 26 countries, including 50 in North America (11 in Canada; 38 in the US; 1 in the Dominican Republic). IKEA has six distribution centers in North America. The IKEA Group employs 131,000 coworkers and had 655 million visitors in FY 11. IKEA incorporates environmentally friendly efforts into day-to-day business and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment including UNICEF, Save the Children and American Forests. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to www.IKEA-usa.com and also learn more about IKEA environmental and social responsibility actions and programs. Also visit www.Facebook.com/IKEAUSA.

To view the People & Planet Positive film on YouTube, please visit: www.youtube.com/IKEA