Ikea Italy's retail chief executive Roberto Monti told Reuters that the retailer expects sales growth in the current financial year to be in line with growth in the year to August 2006. The retailer opened 21 stores in the year to August 31, 2007 and now has 231 stores in 24 countries. In the current financial year, there are reportedly plans to open 26 new sores - five of which will be in Italy.