Ikea in China.  Anything but a store.

Now living in China, I definitely see things on a day to day basis that wouldn’t see back in the UK, my IKEA experiences are one of them.

If you’ve ever walked through an IKEA store thinking about how cool it would be if you could just lay down on one of them soft beds, cover yourself with a fluffy blankets and nap, then you need to move to China, because that’s what IKEA visitors do over there.

The Chinese simply love IKEA! Millions visit the company’s mainland stores every year, but only a few of them actually end up buying something, as many just come to enjoy the air-conditioning on a hot summer day and take a nap on the comfy furniture on display. 8 of the 10 largest IKEA stores in the world are in China, so thats a lot fo beds to fill.

As you walk around the store, youll see people dead to the world in beds, on sofas or in chairs, and the rest of the people just carrying on thier business as if they are not even there!  Now I know nap time is important here but this seems crazy to me.  How can I buy a bed if its got someone having a cap nap under the blankets!  Does he come with the bed too?

I wondered why the company allowed this to happen, so I read some articles online and asked some friends and i come to the conclusion that the company hasn’t taken any measures against people making themselves a little too much at home, because it sees it as a future investment. They believe when these people have more consumption power they’ll come back and buy something, but until then they’re free to loiter around. Not sure if this is the real reason but its the one I believe is true.

The canteen is another reason people flock in droves to IKEA.  during the lunchtime rush of 12-2 it is a madhouse, youll be lucky to get a seat.  This is because of cheap, filling food which is on your plate and in your belly very quickly.  I myself actually like IKEA lunch and go there quite often for a budget lunch.

So come to IKEA, have a nice big lunch, then take a long nap in the comfortable beds, what more could you want?

Ikea is located at Europe World.  You can take bus M487 from Window of the World