IKEA sales reach 105m euros, threatening Catarama's second position

Furniture and interior decorations retailer IKEA, with one store on the Romanian market, posted a 50% sales rise last year, to 104.7 million euros (VAT included), compared with 70 million euros in its nine months in business in 2007. These results have propelled IKEA to the top three players in the furniture industry, a ranking dominated by Mobexpert and Elvila, which additionally hold production facilities. According to exclusively retail-related results, IKEA most likely outranked Viorel Catarama, owner of the Elvila stores, an over 50-strong chain. IKEA has yet to feel the effects of the international crisis, according to statements from company representatives, with the last three months of the year bringing it a 20% higher turnover against the similar time in 2007.