Ikea boosts education donations to check poverty

Sweden's home-furnishing giant Ikea Group is to donate one euro ($1.07) to United Nations Children's Fund and Save the Children, from every soft toy or children's book sold from its 18 stores in China until Feb 11.

The company's Ikea Foundation said it has so far raised some 77 million euros worldwide, creating 99 charity programs which have supported more than 11 million children in 46 countries.

In China it claims the soft-toy sales idea helped generate 798,740 euros for those two organizations last year.