It is the biggest thing to come from Sweden since Abba - but now Ikea's catalogue has become so popular it has more devotees than the Bible.

The Swedish home furnishing company, which once invited customers to 'chuck out your chintz', will distribute 110million copies of its brochure this year,

That gives it an annual circulation four times greater than the Good Book. The 300-page free catalogue is printed in 46 languages, distributed to 33 countries and takes about a year to compile. Thirty-five parttime photographers take four months to shoot its 6,800 pictures.

You do not have to be a customer or visit a store to get your hands on a copy - it is also sent out via a random mailing list.

Bill Agee, Ikea's head of catalogue services, admitted the technique broke all the rules of marketing.

'You really should only distribute it to customers or potential customers. But it works. The catalogue is critical to Ikea,' he said.

Mr Agee added the company spent half its annual marketing budget producing the brochure.

Ikea has become a global brand since its launch in 1951.

It was the brainchild of young entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad, who started out selling pens, wallets, picture frames, watches, jewellery and nylon stockings.

The name Ikea came from Mr Kamprad's initials and the first letters of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where he grew up.

He began a mail order catalogue in 1951 and by 1953 the first Ikea store opened at Almhult in Sweden.

It now has 170 stores worldwide and a turnover of £6.6billion.

Head of design Lars Engman said the simple practicality of Ikea's designs had been its key to success, adding: 'It's because we start with people's needs and see how we can come up with a better solution. Swedes are very practical: Italians build Ferraris, we build Volvos.'