Big surprise at Nicosia Mall revealed

The name of a surprise entry at the Nicosia Mall has been made public, pinning IKEA directly against another Scandinavian competitor.

The newly opened Nicosia Mall has signed a contract with JYSK, a Danish global retail chain selling household goods such as mattresses, furniture and interior décor. JYSK, a newcomer to the island, operates in direct competition with Swedish IKEA, which runs a mega store in the east part of town adjacent to the Mall of Cyprus.

According to ReporterCy, the Danish chain JYSK has signed up with Nicosia Mall and will start store preparations in January, with an estimate grand opening towards the end of March in 2019.

Previous reports spoke of “big surprises” at the Nicosia Mall, the much-awaited shopping mall in the outskirts of west Nicosia. The vast majority of its 150 retail shops already opened last month, following a hectic schedule to beat critics and competitors just in time for Black Friday.

Now JYSK, the largest Danish retailer operating internationally, will offer Cypriot consumers in the home improvement and Do-It-Yourself markets another choice from Scandinavia.

JYSK is known for targeting shoppers who like to find price alternatives in home styling and DIY products. It is owned by founder Lars Larsen, who opened his first JYSK store in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1979.

Although JYSK is a global business, the company says it is managed based on its Scandinavian roots. The competition between IKEA and JYSK has been the topic of discussion in a number of popular forums, with observers saying a number of very similar products are on sale and price could be a deciding factor for conscientious consumers.