Furniture giant IKEA is set to close doors at its flagship Irish store in Dublin due to the coronavirus crisis.
The company announced today it would temporarily closing its store in Ballymun and the collection centre in Carrickmines as a precautionary measure.
The store will close from Friday at 6pm.
Peter Jelkeby, IKEA Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “These are extraordinary times, and our absolute priority is to ensure the health and safety of our customers and co-workers.
"We have listened carefully to them, to the advice of the UK and Ireland governments, and have been closely monitoring the situation as this evolves. This is the right decision for us to take at this point.
"We look forward to welcoming our customers back to our stores in the future.”
The Swedish retailer had previously shut its restaurants, cafes and playground areas.
Stores across the UK will also temporarily shut.
Customers will still to be able to shop online at IKEA.ie and have products delivered directly to their homes.
They will also be able to request contact-free deliveries if they prefer.
Peter Jelkeby added: “As a company who cares deeply about people and the planet, our thoughts are with all those affected by the virus and those working tirelessly to care for them.”
IKEA currently employs thousands of workers across the UK and Ireland.
Stores in the US and Canada have also shut their doors.
The decision comes as other retailers made the decision to close amid the battle against Covid-19.
Brown Thomas, Arnotts and Penneys all announced this week they would be closing down temporarily.
