The IKEA group, the world's largest home products retailer, started a three-day test operation of a new store in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Monday.

The store is the Swedish company's largest store in Asia and the second largest in the world, the company said in a statement.

The new store, with a total investment of US$60 million, is expected to have an annual business turnover of 400 million yuan and provide 400 jobs.

The store has a total floor space of 116,400 square meters.

It will officially start operations on May 20.

The new store brings to eight the number of IKEA stores in China.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2010)