Ikea launches Expedit redesign to save on wood

Ikea caused outrage among record collectors recently when it announced that its cult Expedit shelving unit would be discontinued.

Fans of the product raised an angry first while straining to hold back tears, such is the beloved status of the Expedit. The news came of something of a surprise given that the item is so popular but, as it turns out, all is not lost.

Far from it: Ikea will release what is essentially an Expedit redesign. The Kallax (seemingly named after a small Swedish village) is near-identical in that it is designed with the same internal sizes and fittings but comes with rounded edges and is built using less wood.

Yup, the new unit will come with a thinner outer edge. Which, as Gizmodo helpfully points out, will save Ikea some mammoth production costs and also help the company comply with Forest Stewardship Council eco guidelines.

So, Ikea's either canning the Expedit to save money or the environment or both. But it's definitely not because they think vinyl is a defunct format. Crate diggers, relax!