The first ever Ikea store on the island of Ireland will open in December, the Swedish company announced today.
Lord Mayor of Belfast Jim Rodgers today placed the last skylight on the roof of the 29,000 square metre store as part of the 'topping-out' ceremony, marking the completion of its construction.
The massive furniture store will be based at the Holywood Exchange building and will cover an equivalent area of five and a half football fields.
Planning permission for the store was granted last December and the new Ikea will open almost exactly a year later, on December 13 th. It will employ 400 staff, with a further 100 people employed in outsourced services.
Ikea said some 11,000 people attended its recent recruitment weekend in Belfast.