Spurred on by the warmer weather, customers flocked to the Swedish retailer over the May Bank Holiday weekend to stock up on garden furniture ranges.
Sales of Ikea ranges, such as the Äpplarö table and Äpplarö folding chair were up 457% and 438% respectively year-on-year over the last Bank Holiday weekend. Its Samsö parasol was also up 458%.

Furniture accessories also sold well, with Ikea selling more than 14 times as many of its Hållö outdoor seat cushions than during the same Bank Holiday last year.

Ikea outdoor furniture manager Jamey Seaman commented: "In years gone by we'd normally have to wait until June or July before seeing outdoor furniture sales figures like these. But the sun came early this year, and so did the people."