Ikea takes on 100 more staff in Belfast
Swedish furniture giant Ikea is recruiting another 100 staff to its Belfast store just weeks after opening, it announced today.
Marking its 50th day of trading in the city the company said it was increasing its team of "co-workers" from 450 to 550.
The store, the first on the island of Ireland, has attracted almost 500,000 visitors since it opened on December 13, said Ikea.
Some 15- 20% of customers are from the South – destination of the bulk of its home deliveries.
The store said it had sold 1,000,000 tea lights, 8,000 of its famous Billy bookcases and its restaurant was the second busiest in the UK.
Manager Paul Reid said: “The store has been very busy since opening and, on average, we are welcoming around 10,000 visitors per day including a large number of visitors from the Republic of Ireland.
“During weekends we have around 30,000 visitors coming to Ikea Belfast”
Mr Reid said they were delighted with the public’s positive response to the store. “As a result we are recruiting an additional 100 co-workers to help meet the demand and ensure we continue to offer excellent customer service.
“Most of them have already started and the rest will join within the next fortnight.”
