The world's largest furniture retailer IKEA is to open a new store in Chengdu, the first in southwest China, before the end of this year, the company has announced.

The store in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, about 2,200 km southwest of Beijing, will cover a floor space of 30,000 square meters and provide customers with more than 6,000 items, said Gillian Drakeford, vice president of IKEA China.

There will also be a Swedish restaurant at the Chengdu store, sources said.

The company entered the China market in 1998 and has now three stores in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

With 235 shops in 34 countries and regions, IKEA recorded a total global turnover of 14.8 billion euros in 2005.

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