Home furnishings retailer Ikea has officially opened its 20th UK store in Sheffield.
Located on Sheffield Road in the Tinsley neighbourhood, the new 376,737sq ft store has created over 480 jobs.
More than 90 per cent of the new team are residents of the Sheffield and wider South Yorkshire area.
The store sells Ikea’s full range of products, including inspirational room sets, a crèche, restaurant, bistro and car park with around 1000 free spaces.
Ikea Sheffield is also the retailer‘s most sustainable store to date and has achieved a BREEAM excellent accreditation thanks to its use of sustainable technologies like photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting, and electric vehicle charging points on site.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be opening our doors to the city of Sheffield today as we know that people in Sheffield have long been anticipating our arrival,” new store manager Garry Deakin said.
“Both myself and my talented team are looking forward to welcoming the people of South Yorkshire to the store, where they will be able to discover our unique shopping experience and inspirational home furnishings expertise.
“We‘re proud to be joining such a wonderful community and look forward to continuing to work with our local charity partners.”
The opening this morning was attended by Ikea UK and Ireland country manager Gillian Drakeford, the Sheffield Lord Mayor Anne Murphy, Sheffield City Council leader Cr Julie Dore, and the Swedish Ambassador to the UK Torbjörn Sohlström.
Drakeford added that the Sheffield opening was a sign that Ikea was committed to investing in its business in the UK.
“As we celebrate our 30th anniversary in the UK next month, we remain committed to building a strong and trusted brand whilst continuing to bring IKEA closer to the many people,” she said.
“In addition to IKEA Sheffield, we will be opening two new stores in Exeter and Greenwich before the end of 2018.”
