Scandinavian rival on way

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), April 17, 2004

Store wars is set to break out on Tyneside as a top Danish furniture outfit prepares to lock horns with Swedish giant Ikea.

Huge expansion plans have been announced today by Ilva, which has been taken over by the former boss of Habitat, Martin Toogood.

He has set his sights firmly on an invasion of Britain and Ilva is hoping to open its first superstore here next year which will be followed by 19 more.

Mr Toogood is in talks for sites in London, Newcastle, Cardiff, Leeds, Reading, Manchester and Glasgow.

It is thought he will be ready to sign leases over the next few weeks and each store would create hundreds of new jobs.

The 57-year-old said: "We have had some difficulties getting sites because planning permission for this size is hard to get.

"UK property developers are also wary of taking a risk on a relatively unknown business. But we are well on the way now."

Ilva is Denmark's second largest furniture retailer and has a product range similar to that of Ikea, although its prices are seen as marginally more expensive.