Furniture

Scandinavian furniture retailer Jysk is continuing its expansion and achieved a new record turnover last year. However, profit was lower than a year earlier.

Chaotic scenes took place in all of Ikea's Belgian stores this morning. This was prompted by the launch of the new Markerad collection, designed by Virgil Abloh, the artistic director for Louis Vuitton.

Their first Belgian store has only just opened, but already French home decoration discounter Centrakor aims for a nationwide expansion. CEO Olivier Rondolotto is already entirely convinced: a dozen stores in the French speaking part of Belgium is only the precursor to a conquest of Flanders.

Dutch bed retailer Beter Bed has succeeded in offloading its German subsidiary, Matratzen Concord, to investor Magical Honour. The latter is paying five million euros for the controversial mattress retailer and will invest just as much in Beter Bed Holding itself.

French holding company Cafom is looking to sell its subsidiary Habitat. Loss-making branches of the furniture chain are to be closed.

Last financial year, Ikea has managed to increase its retail turnover considerably. The group's online business is growing fast, while the number of visitors to its stores remains at the same level. The retailer is opening even more small shops and planning studios in large cities.

Ingka Group, the owner of the majority of Ikea stores, says it will produce as much renewable energy as it consumes by the end of this year and achieve its own target a year earlier than originally planned.