National sofa retail chain DFS has opened a new store in Ipswich, creating 14 new jobs.

The 15,000sq ft store is the latest outlet to open at the Futura Park retail development on the site of the former Cranes engineering works off Nacton Road.

Guests at the opening included Hamil Clarke, the Mayor of Ipswich, and members of the Ipswich Cardinals Americal Football team.

Store manager Kevin Gasson said: “Our store opening was a huge success.

“The team were eager to get the store opened and couldn’t wait to meet the first customers. It was great to meet community VIPs from the council, as well as members from the local American football team.”

DFS, which builds all its sofas to order, many of them at its three UK factories, has been trading for more than 40 years and is currently investing in an expansion which has seen around 10 new stores open in the past year, taking the total to nearly 100.

Its Ipswich store forms part of a 60,000 sq ft second phase of construction at Futura Park, with the first phase having involved the construction of twin Waitrose and John Lewis at Home stores for the John Lewis Partnership.

Futura Park is the result of a joint venture, AquiGen, between Chelmsford-based property developer Tony Chambers, whose company Aquila Developments has around £150m-worth of developments and investments, and Paul Isaacs, who heads his own company, Generator Group, based in London.