Ipswich: DFS names date to join Waitrose and John Lewis at home at Futura Park
An artist's impression of what Futura Park Phase 2 will look like - Credit: Archant
Sofa retailer DFS is to create 14 new jobs when it opens a new 15,000sq ft store in Ipswich.
DFS yesterday confirmed that the new store, part of the second phase of the Futura Park development, will open for business at 9am on Friday, August 16.
DFS regional manager Tom Roffey said: “I’m looking forward to the opening as we’ve recruited a great bunch of people from the local community.”
Kevin Gasson, who has been appointed store manager in Ipswich, added: “We’re really looking forward to bringing DFS to Futura Park. It’s a great location and the new store will be a fantastic addition to the local retail landscape.”
The new Ipswich store is part of an expansion drive which has already seen DFS open eight new branches during its current financial year, including five in its third quarter, which has brought the total network at present to 97 outlets.
In a trading update last week, DFS announced a 7.8% increase in sales for the nine months to April 27, to £481.8m compared with ££446.8m at the same stage last year, and earnings 8.5% up at £48.3m against £44.5m.
Chief executive Ian Filby said: “This robust performance underlines the strength of the DFS brand, as well as the success of our strategy to broaden our appeal, enhance our service and make our products more accessible to customers than ever before, both through new store openings and our multichannel offer.
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“Our store opening programme remains on track,” he added. “We have also continued
to grow our successful online business, supported by our free sofa and room planner
app, in order to provide a fully multichannel offer.”
Futura Park, built on the site of the former Cranes engineering works off Nacton Road, is already home to the twin Waitrose and John Lewis at home stores launched by the John Lewis Partnership last year.
The second phase of construction work, on the other side of the new Crane Boulevard link road, involves around 60,000sq ft of floor space – about two-thirds the size of the John Lewis complex – split into four larger units and two smaller ones.
Besides, DFS, other occupiers linked with phase two of the development include Paul Simon Curtains, Furniture Village, Carphone Warehouse and coffice chain Costa.
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.
