As a gray haze shrouded Beijing on Monday, Yu Xixi biked to an Ikea store on the edge of the Chinese capital and perched on a queen-size bed called Nesttun. A customer rests on a bed inside the Ikea Beijing Xihongmen Store, China Credit: Photo: omohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg . Who are they? "And we don't take it only from the perspective of home furnishing design, but also what solutions to the home we can provide, what education we can … Some people are feeding their children, after all they're in for a long day ahead. But earlier this week, state media shocked the capital by reporting that the Swedish retailer planned to stop shoppers from sleeping in display rooms and stretching out on sofas. Nicole Webb says. Shower curtain 180x200 cm (71x79 ") Rs. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. It is about experiencing … Sick of the number of snoozing customers, IKEA China recently announced a new rule: no more sleeping in or on sample furniture. Trips to both Beijing locations confirmed that loungers are still legion, and very much at ease. There will be no indication this sudden stop is about to take place; just like the cars, the trolleys are being driven dangerously close to one another. On the beds they are lying, legs stretched out, chatting on their phone or chatting to each other, or simply getting some well earned rest! Customers had … Usually in the middle of the road (or aisle as it may be). Why are there so many people sleeping at IKEA in China?! And on the serious side, if all the sleeping at Ikea means more sales, then that is a good thing for propping up the flagging Chinese economic miracle. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Search 'Ikea in China' on the internet and it doesn't take long to confirm that I haven't been submerged in some farcical dream. This is a serious outing! IKEA Store - HITEC City Raidurg, Serilingampally, Mandal, Survey no. I've thought about this, a lot. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Write to Emily Rauhala at emily_rauhala@timeasia.com. This is clearly where it's at, the hot spot to see and be seen. Whether I'll ever really know, remains to be seen... in the meantime, it's a lot of fun trying to work this nation of 1.3 billion people out! IKEA stores in China have rolled out their welcome mats for many Chinese residents who crash the showrooms to escape the summer heat, have a quick nap or just hangout. In 2012, the company invited 100 IKEA fans to crash for a night at its Essex store in the UK. Many homes cater to three generations under the one roof, all sleeping, eating and living in just one or two rooms. About now you might be asking the question -- do they have any respect? Digital Around the corner, aunties with empty Ikea bags watched over toddlers tossing stuffed toys to and fro. Posted 22 Apr Beijing Youth Daily reported that they checked out the IKEA store at Xihongmen in Beijing. At Ikea’s 21 stores across China, customers (and those simply looking for some climate-controlled shut-eye) have no qualms about getting comfortable on the display furniture. Images) 2.2.2 DIY Preferences. Shopping at IKEA is a bit different and exciting compared to your shopping at an everyday retail. 4,990 (1) EKET. Looking around, there are people parked (literally) in every nook and cranny. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. But, are they just chilling out for the day in this 'furniture theme park' or are they actually buying something? Privacy is not an option. In the kids's toy area parents have set up a little play area, they're down on the floor with their toddlers playing cheerily and it's looking like a nice happy family scene at home, except well, we're in a shop. As a gray haze shrouded Beijing on Monday, Yu Xixi biked to an Ikea store on the edge of the Chinese capital and perched on a queen-size bed called Nesttun. For Ikea, China has been a tough market to crack. Of the ten biggest Ikea stores in the world, eight are in China! Here, many locals treat a trip to this Swedish furniture supplier as an all-day event that includes shopping, eating and most importantly, relaxing! ▼ Sleeping in a bed at Ikea brings a whole new meaning to testing out the furniture. But beware they may stop, dead in their tracks at any given moment. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote. Navigating an IKEA can be difficult work, and it's understandable that you may need a rest. Subscribe for just $18. It took 12 years to make a profit.... but China is now the fastest growing market followed by Russia. For Ikea, adapting to the Chinese market has meant embracing the fact that customers quite like to lounge in the store, taking enthusiastic advantage of the comfy beds and free air-con. I see people laying in beds and sitting on sofas at my local IKEA all the time, but I have yet to see someone actually sleeping there. Ikea shoppers in China fall asleep in furniture room displays: in pictures. IKEA is a global leader in life at home. You have 1 free article left. Makes my local Australian Ikea seem so boring now!! IKEA had to adapt its DIY (do-it-yoursel f) concept to the Chinese realities. IKEA Family offers. While it appears that Ikea beds are just way too comfortable for customers in China to resist sleeping on, there’s no word yet as to whether or not the company will make moves again to try to ban the practice at their stores. Sleep and date Do the chinese sleep, date and hang out in IKEA china. Subscribe for just $18. No, Ikea Hasn't Banned Customers From Sleeping in Its Chinese Stores Chinese shoppers sleep on a sofa in the showroom of the IKEA store on July 6, 2014 in Beijing, China. Well... say no more! Here, Ikea is not just a cheap and cheerful furniture store, it's a phenomenon where Swedish meatballs go down a treat with chopsticks! Whether you just moved into a new home or looking to revamp your current one, we at IKEA are here to inspire you with affordable home furniture solutions, there is a piece of furniture to every corner of your home. Frayer visited Beijing's first Ikea and found enough sleeping customers to build an entire photo essay. Of the world's 10 biggest Ikea stores, eight of them are in China to cater to the country's growing middle class. View more. Cars, motorbikes and trikes all making a beeline for the place many have come to call their second home. The Chinese and the world are banking on Chinese consumers to spend in order to keep the economic growth going. In order to deal with the challenge, IKEA announced that they had no intention to prohibit customers from sleeping on their furniture as they did not perceive that it was a problem. Mint Mocha Musings: The Hotelier's Wife, An Expat Affair in Asia, Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. A visit to Ikea in China – the world’s biggest furniture supplier is a classic case in point of watching locals at play. TRANSLATING CHINA Business Chinese shoppers … Sometimes two or three trolleys at a time, their drivers stopping for a chat. 5,250 (1) … I know what you mean. If there are no beds available, don't worry, grab a couch and a few pillows to snuggle up with (after all, this furniture testing is tiring work). 2014 July 6, Beijing, foreign media reporters photographed Chinese people sleeping on the display sofas or beds at IKEA. Create a home that is perfect for you. at . Margaret Ma, a Beijing-based marketing manager, declined a phone interview, but in an email reply to questions from TIME, denied recent reports of a ban. This, my friends, takes testing furniture out to a whole new level! At IKEA, you'll find our range of well designed, affordable home furnishing solutions – all waiting to be tried out. In 2015, word got out that there would be a Great Ikea Crackdown in Beijing and Shanghai, stopping locals from lounging in the stores; despite newspapers spouting headlines like "Rude Awakening," Ikea clearly knows which side its bread's buttered on and power napping remains part and parcel of the China Ikea experience. So keep on sleeping. 1,390 (1) GRUNU. It turns out the Great Ikea Crackdown of 2015 was greatly exaggerated. There are people splayed everywhere! We move forward, battling our way through the traffic, around a few bends and we reach the lounge chairs followed by the bedroom section. So if you’re a Beijinger looking for a place to unwind, Ikea is still your happy place. Please attempt to sign up again. Photographer Kevin Frayer captured the phenomenon for Getty Images last summer. KLIBBARV. There's no time to think of the next person. Throw 120x180 cm (47x71 ") Rs. 2019. Ikea sure makes Chinese shoppers comfortable. Subscribe for just $18. I was just … This is your last free article. Comments. A visit to Ikea in China -- the world's biggest furniture supplier is a classic case in point of watching locals at play. The furniture is probably more comfortable than they have at home and for many, snaring a spot on the plush double bed is probably a much better option than hanging at home for the day. While Ikea is seen as a mass produced, cheaper brand in developed countries, in China it's targeting that new growing middle class. Aug. 26. 999 (1) RINDSHOLM. IKEA furniture and home accessories are practical, well designed and affordable. You have a limited number of free articles. Flat sheet and 2 pillowcase 240x260/50x80 cm (94x102/20x32 ") Rs. Cabinet combination with legs 35x35x80 cm (13 3/4x13 3/4x31 1/2 ") Rs. You can unsubscribe at any time. Figure 2.2 Sleeping in IKEA Stores in China (Source: K evin Fr ayer/Getty. Chinese shoppers sleep on a sofa in the showroom of the IKEA store on July 6, 2014 in Beijing, China. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. And some locations in China encourage shoppers to field test the mattresses and couches. For the thousands making their way through the store's mock-up homes, this isn't just a Sunday chore, where you get in and get what you need and get out, hoping to God you can assemble the dam thing once you get it home. Yep, the showrooms providing a chic Swedish affair for a loved up couple in Nanjing. A Chinese shopper sleeps on a sofa in the showroom of the IKEA store in Beijing, China. Many are just kicking back in those fabulous lazy boy chairs.... sipping their flask of tea, probably enjoying the free heating on a cool winter's day. at . Customers of all ages nap on sofas and beds in showrooms all over China. For me, as an expat living in Xi'an, China, it's the people who really intrigue me. Other couples are canoodling, one man gently rubbing his partner's head while she's having a much needed lie down. Rug, flatwoven 160x230 cm (5 ' 3 "x7 ' 7 ") Rs. However, IKEA staff had have major issues enforcing the new rule. © 2021 TIME USA, LLC. They wrote that were still customers sleeping in and on half the beds and sofas in the store. True to form, I spy a couple of ladies -- clearly friends, who've decided, why wait until they hit the cafeteria, it's BYO lunch, brought out and opened -- on the display table -- which is covered in tags hanging off both it and the surrounding chairs! One interesting review argued that sleeping on IKEA’s display furniture was understandable as the noon nap is a common habit in China. Our Small Person has begged for a ride in the trolley, I firmly tell her to keep her hands in, at all times! You have 2 free articles left. According to reports, most of IKEA’s consumers in China come from the middle class, and among them, there is no shortage of customers who sleep in the showroom. This was my experience exploring the IKEA in Beijing in the Chaoyang District. “The measure you mentioned is not a new rule.”. Skip listing. Nearby, an older gentleman was relaxing on a sofa, pants high, feet up, and eyes closed. Ikea stores are built extra large in China and it doesn't take me long to work out why. Here you can find your local IKEA website and more about the IKEA business idea. Probably wondering why we are not feeling the need to get cozy under the blankets. Of the world's ten biggest Ikea stores, 8 of them are in China to cater to the country's growing middle class. Meanwhile, she considered storage, cooking and sleeping to be the three biggest pain points in terms of homewares in China. Subscribe for just $18. Entering the store is like entering a vortex and if you've ever been to Ikea (anywhere in the world), you'll know once you're in, there's only one way out, FOLLOW THE ARROWS! An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. IKEA china - shanghai. ... Mint Mocha Musings Tagged With: Chinese people, Ikea China, Living in China, Shopping in China, Sleeping in Ikea. At IKEA’s 21 stores across China, customers (and those simply looking for some climate-controlled shut-eye) have no qualms about getting comfortable on the display furniture. Please try again later. (“Rude awakening” chuckled the Daily Mail. Others in the bathroom section are touching up their make up. The more I live here, the more I realize that China is a force to be reckoned with. Marketers say instead of the Chinese-inspired designs the company quickly learned, people here want the western experience. This is hilarious!! IKEA Hyderabad. One side swipe and we're clearly cactus! It was Sunday afternoon and as you might expect, it was chaos. Today is National Voter Registration Day! The Swedish furniture giant has had enough. Until Ikea arrived in China in 2000 (and just a few months ago in Xi'an) there's never been anything like it in China, a place where locals feel like they can actually experience the goods on display for themselves. Amanda Kendle says. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. At the store’s Xihongmen branch, a young couple lay curled up on the lower reaches of a bunk bed, headphones in, watching TV on a tablet. 149 (1) ÄNGLATÅRAR. Ikea has such a following, couples have even tied the knot in the store. Aug 26 2019. As we cruise through, I try not to let the alarm show on my face... but as I feel several pairs of eyes on us, the foreign family sauntering through the slumber party, I can tell they are almost as intrigued as I am. The beds and couches at Ikea are communal nap spots in China. For me, as an expat living in Xi’an, China, it’s the people who really intrigue me. Journalist, Writer, Expat Blogger in Xi'an, China. News of the nascent ban spread quickly, from state media to the foreign press. IKEA is a wonderful place to go if you are looking for some new furniture, or maybe if you want to take cheeky photos while riding in shopping carts.But it seems that the people in China are getting way too comfortable visiting IKEA, so much so they end up sleeping in the store’s display beds. 83/1, Plot No.25, 26, Part 29 Panmaqtha, Rangareddy, … While in the past, locals haven't had the money to spend on decorating their homes, these days home ownership is growing at a rapid pace (much like the rest of the country) and people are looking to learn how to furnish their homes. A Chinese shopper sleeps on a bed in the showroom of the IKEA store on July 6, 2014 in Beijing, China. And IKEA is trying to take a look from a much higher perspective – how people live and what they have trouble with. Pretty much business as usual. Ha Ha! 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