IN BRIEF

IKEA raked in more than £30billion in sales in the year to August. The group’s 355 stores in 29 countries had 817million customers. IKEA is set to begin selling through other websites, possibly including Amazon.

Whitbread is buying the other 49% of its Costa Coffee chain offshoot in South China for £35million. The operation, run in conjunction with a local firm, has 252 stores there.

Power prices jumped over the summer amid concerns about electricity imports from France where some nuclear power plants were out of action, said industry experts ICIS.

The board of convenience store operator Nisa has recommended its members accept a £143million takeover from the Co-op Group. The offer comes after the Co-op replaced Sainsbury’s as the front runner in the process earlier this year. It would mean the group taking on Nisa’s debts of £105m. A combined entity would see the number of stores the Co-op supplies nearly double to 7,000.