News has surfaced that IKEA has outstripped John Lewis as the nation’s favourite shop.

This is despite recent press reports of Ikea using East German political prisoners to manufacture furniture leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, and in a similar move using Cuban prison labor to build Ikea furniture in a deal that appears former Cuban leader Fidel Castro personally approved Ikea is top of the UK opinion poll for the nations favourite shop.

Indeed, flatpack giant Ikea has taken over from traditional John Lewis as Britain's favourite shop, an influential annual study reveals. The Swedish furniture chain has finally worked its way up to the top of the nation's affections thanks to the way it keeps its customers satisfied, and with competitive pricing said experts from analysts Verdict Research.

Verdict's annual poll of some 6,000 UK consumers looks at the retailers who provide what the customer wants, as well as service, quality, a wide range and good value and in the poll both the High Street and online versions of the retailers are taken into account in the voting.

One has to hope that the prisoners building the Ikea furniture (as alleged) also got to feast on the Swedish Meatballs and Dime bar cake, but we don’t think that’s likely?

Ikea have 18 UK based stores and with displays showcasing kitchens Manchester and beautiful kitchens in their kitchens Warrington store, Ikea have adequate coverage in the NW, plus the other corners of the UK. Ikea are renowned for the cheap kitchens and flat pack ethos and whilst cost wise, are towards the lower end of the modern kitchens available in the UK cost wise, they do fair better than other flat pack manufacturers