On the surface Norwich seems the perfect hunting ground for Swedish homeware behemoth IKEA.

By and large the city and the surrounding area is fairly affluent.

There is no close-by urban competitor for footfall.

And everyone loves meatballs, right?

Wrong, it seems.

The shock news that the Norwich branch - a collection store but with a reduced range also on sale and a cafe - is to close has been blamed on not meeting its "sales and profitability targets".

The first UK IKEA - in Warrington in the north west - opened in 1987 and people actually camped out for days to be among the first inside.

Nothing like it had been seen on these shores before. Flat-pack furniture at these types of prices was unheard of and a revolution began.

The simple lines. The clean surfaces. The Billy bookcase.

The range was straightforward and effortless. It was even deemed 'cool'.

And so it remains. Pre-pandemic IKEA enjoyed a record £12.6bn annual profit worldwide.

But why bother with the hassle of the car and the queues when IKEA can now come straight to your door via your phone? Order a new sofa from your old one online.

There is bad news though - the meatballs are currently only available in store.