Mistakes in of themselves are an inevitable occurrence that everyone experiences, with the magnitude of them being influenced by the importance of the mishandled action and the number of people involved. The most noticeable times a mistake is known to people who were not directly involved is when an important or well known entity, such as a famous celebrity or a respected organization, is the source. In a strange hybridization of a inconsequential error made by a notable corporation; the debacle that stemmed from IKEA’s, everyone’s favorite multinational furniture company, mistake.

   Strangely enough, this incident did not revolve around any furniture, nor any concern over the ingredients that make up the food available in each establishment’s food court. IKEA’s mistake was with the maps, which were criminally priced at around $30, missing an entire country. The victim of this mistake was none other than New Zealand. Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and consisting of two main islands, New Zealand is well known for it’s beautiful landscapes, national rugby team, assortment of unique plant life and animals and remoteness when compared to other countries. Thus the last trait cannot be empathized considering that it was one of the last lands to be discovered and settled by man. It doesn’t help that IKEA had already announced their plans to expand into New Zealand.

  IKEA’s mistake was eventually made known by a Reddit user during early February. After receiving comedic jabs by those who fancy themselves as comedians, along with serious criticism by individuals who have misplaced priorities, the furniture company profusely apologized. Luckily for IKEA, they are not the only ones who has made this mistake. New Zealand has had the bad luck of being mistakenly left off of world maps sold around the world. Taking this into account, it is likely that this will not be the last time such an incident occurs. As for IKEA, this is just another spectacle that lacks any mention of furniture.