Record sales at Ikea driven by rapid growth in China

Ikea has reported a 7.1% rise in full-year sales to a record £28.8bn, driven by rapid growth in China.

The world's largest furniture company's like-for-like sales rose by 4.8%.

The Swedish retailer, which has 340 stores, including 12 which it opened this year, said it had welcomed 783 million customers through its doors over the past 12 months.

Ikea Group said China remained one of its fastest growing markets, followed by Poland, Australia and Canada.

Germany retained its position as the retailer's largest market, closely followed by the United States.

The company says it plans to open its first Ikea stores in India and Serbia in the coming year.

The group's chief executive and president, Peter Agnefjall, said the focus for the year ahead is to put "even more effort in providing a great Ikea experience for visitors across all channels".

"Our focus on kitchens, kitchen equipment and dining rooms has proven very popular with customers and contributed to the strong result in the past year," he added.

The group, which is not listed and manages most of the stores, is expected to release its full earnings report before the end of the year.