Anyone that's walked through the neatly manicured aisles of the Swedish furniture chain, with its distinctive smell of meatballs wafting through the halls, has surely fantasized about what it would be like to spend a night tucked under the covers in one of its many curated living spaces. For a group of Danish people, that fantasy became a reality when shoppers were required to stay in-stores during a massive snowstorm.
In what sounds like one of the more ideal locations to ride out a blizzard, a group of 31 employees and six customers in Aalborg, Denmark found themselves trapped in a local IKEA after large storm rapidly dropped a foot of snow. Making the best out of an unfortunate situation, the rag tag group of Danes spent the evening playing cards, watching movies and dining on cinnamon buns, hot chocolate, coffee and beer in the cafeteria.
As the night wore on, members of the group wandered around the showroom and picked their own beds. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Peter Elmose, the store manager, told Insider. "I've been working in IKEA, and I've never experienced this before."
At around 11 p.m., members of the group chose where they wanted to sleep, having their pick of IKEA's vast showroom of beds and sofas.\n\nhttps://www.insider.com/photos-the-fun-ikea-store-sleepover-after-snowstorm-traps-31-people-2021-12\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/veoTvaCSXH— Retail Insider (@Retail Insider) 1638730436
According to Elmose, the news had even spread to three other women working at a nearby store who came around looking for shelter. "Everybody was actually calm, and we were able to make it nice and cozy," Elmose said. "Our values are to take care of each other and so we had a nice time and enjoyed the evening."
By the end of the ordeal (or vacation depending on how you look at it), everyone went home with a free pillow as a parting gift and all of the sheets and pillows on the bed were changed in time for the store by open at 10 AM the next day.
Photo via Getty/ Warren Little