Doors open at first Irish Ikea store

Swedish furniture giant Ikea opened its store in Belfast today amid much razzmatazz, but far fewer customers than predicted.

When the doors were thrown open five minutes early at 9.55am no more than 500 people were queuing outside.

Concerns over traffic chaos caused by thousands flocking to the opening did not materialise.

Police and road service officials were on hand but were hardly needed.

There had been worry that tailbacks could have delayed passengers trying to get to the nearby George Best Belfast City airport - but if anything the roads were quieter than on a normal Thursday morning.

The 29,000 square feet store - the size of five and a half football pitches - is the first in Ireland and many first day customers had made the trek across the border.

A store is planned for Dublin, but while planning permission has been granted building has been delayed by a string of conditions requiring road improvements to the M50 ring road.

First in the queue were Ulster couple Gareth and Amanda Stewart who drove up from their home at Kinallen, Co Down and slept in a van overnight.

Mr Stewart said: "We got here at 11.30pm and got up and into the queue at 5am. We're looking for living room furniture to finish off doing up our home."

Mrs Stewart was presented with a huge bouquet of flowers - in traditional Ikea blue and yellow - as they headed into the store to be deluged by a mass of ticker tape thrown by the 400 cheering staff.

Belfast Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers declared the store open after working up a sweat sawing through a log with manager Paul Reid in a traditional Swedish ceremony.

Declaring Ikea's 270th store open he said: "Today is a momentous day not only for Belfast but for all of Northern Ireland.

"Ikea is a global brand and the fact they are willing to invest in Belfast says much about the progress that has been made in Northern Ireland over recent years."

The North's First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness attended the opening and they too said it was a sign of changed times.

Mr McGuinness said: "It is a tremendous vote of confidence for everything that has been happening here. Ikea is a world renowned company so it is a vote of confidence for all that has happened and a very clear sign for other companies in the US and Europe that we are open for business."

Mr Paisley said it was a great day for Belfast and he was particularly glad to hear of one of Ikea's competitors welcoming the store to the North.

He said: "It is good for all of us that they have come and it is very refreshing for the people of Northern Ireland."

Mr Paisley freely admitted that he is not keen on shopping but joked: "This store is going to make it easier for a Ballymena man to buy cheap. It's got the best possible goods for the lowest possible price - that is what this is all about."

Store manager Paul Reid said he was delighted opening day had finally arrived.

"It is impossible to overestimate the excitement among Ikea staff about this opening. We have been itching to open for several weeks now as we have been putting the store's final touches in place."

Situated at Holywood Exchange in east Belfast the store has the largest selling space of any Ikea in the UK and a full range of 9,500 items.

It boasts 50 fully furnished showrooms and the North's largest restaurant - 565 seats on the first floor overlooking the runway of the neighbouring airport.

It has been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible using rainwater to flush its lavatories and recycling 90% of its annual waste - expected to be around 1,500 tonnes.