Furniture
French holding company Cafom is looking to sell its subsidiary Habitat. Loss-making branches of the furniture chain are to be closed.
» Read more
The French furniture discounter Centrakor has opened its first Belgian store in Gosselies, near Charleroi - the first foreign store at all for the chain.
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.
Scandinavian furniture retailer Jysk is continuing its expansion and reached a new record turnover last year. Over the coming year, the company intends to continue to invest and work on the integration of its sister company, Dänisches Bettenlager.
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.
The Ikea store in Eindhoven is testing the consequences of not letting people pay in cash any more. If successful, the test may be expanded to other Dutch stores too.
Steinhoff, the South-African owner of chains like Conforama and Poundland, has achieved a decent turnover growth in the first nine months of its financial year. Still, billions of euros worth in damage claims keep the company in trouble.
Ikea is starting a lease in a shopping centre for the first time, in the Indian city of Mumbai. Even for the Swedes, the 'big box' era seems to end as the focus shifts to getting close to city centre residents.
Ikea has turned its latest catalogue into an audio-book and put it on Spotify. The goal of that campaign is to draw attention to the digital version of the catalogue.
British carpet store chain Carpetright has moved 45 million euros worth of debt from banks to its major shareholder Meditor.
Ikea wants to invest heavily in its Chinese store network. The fact that many Chinese like to visit the stores to take a nap, is alright for the Swedes.
Online furniture discounter Vente-Unique saw its turnover rise by 10% in the past quarter. The 'flash sales' company especially grew beyond its domestic market of France.
A global first for the Netherlands: the Ikea store in Groningen is the first where the chain totally redesigns its lay-out and arranges items by price. The store also aims at selling 'full experiences', rather than single pieces of furniture.
DIY giant Kingfisher will be getting a new CEO next autumn: Thierry Garnier. The Frenchman will be succeeding Véronique Laury, who stepped down this spring.
South African holding Steinhoff International demands at least 53 million euros from its former CEO Markus Jooste. The group believes he personally shares responsibility for the accounting scandal that nearly destroyed Steinhoff.
Due to continuous problems with Matratzen Concord, Dutch bed selling chain Beter Bed is looking into a sale of its German branch.
