Ikea Plans Warehouse in Germany

Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea may locate its European warehouse in the western city of Dortmund, according to German daily die tageszeitung and the local Ruhr Nachrichten. The company plans to negotiate buying a 75-hectare (185-acre) plot of land in the city's north from the ThyssenKrupp company. The papers reported that Dortmund had beat out Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Piacenza in Italy for the €130 million investment. There are currently 36 Ikea stores in Germany, with the market for the Swedish company's inexpensive furnishings continuing to expand.