A lot of times, buying furniture is sort of a leap of faith. Sure, that sofa might seem alright when you sit down on it in the showroom for a couple of minutes, but is it really comfy enough for a full afternoon of watching football and drinking beer, plus the two-hour alcohol-induced nap that’ll follow?
Since home furnishings are designed to last for at least a couple of years, you want to spend as much time with them as you can before deciding which model to buy. That’s why Ikea stores encourage customers to sit and lie on the display models for as long as they like, with some shoppers in China taking the offer to make themselves at home as far as they can.
In recent summers, many clever Chinese shoppers have been beating the heat by making day-long visits to their local air-conditioned Ikea branches, and now some are carrying the practice over into the fall. The company itself doesn’t seem to mind, since spending a good chunk of time in the store is really the only way to be 100-percent sure if its products fit your lifestyle or not. As a matter of fact, on a recent day at the Ikea in Wuhan, you could find just about every facet of life going on, including socializing and leisure.
▼ We’re not saying this would be better if she had her shoes on, but a pair of socks would be considerate.
But such an extended visit means that at some point you’re going to get hungry, which is why this couple brought their own snacks.
▼ The guy is also simulating the experience of not being able to understand Ikea’s direction sheets or assemble anything by just putting his drink on the stack of boxes.
The body needs more than just food, though. It needs sleep, too, and since a lot of people read or check the Internet on their smartphones before turning out the lights, these two decided to perform a field test. (But, hey, at least they kept their shoes on and their feet off the bed!)
You could make the case that their method isn’t the most accurate, though. I mean, who sleeps on top of the covers like that? Not this woman, that’s for sure.
▼ Her husband is also making sure the mattress provides a solid enough foundation for a proper pillow fort.
Some net users have argued that these shoppers are going too far, but hey, these are all things that happen in the home, so why not do them when trying out furniture? People sit on chairs and eat, relax on sofas, and sleep in beds. Those actions are exactly what those pieces of furniture are designed for.
You can’t say the same about the unorthodox use this man and his son discovered for a trash bin, though…
▼ “Dad, are you sure no one’s looking?” “Yes, I’m sure, now just go already.”
We’re not sure of the exact layout of the Wuhan Ikea, but if it’s like any of the other branches of the chain we’ve been to around the world, they usually have restrooms inside, so we’re not sure why there was a need to test out the container’s multi-functionality. Maybe in the father’s mind, relaxing, eating, sleeping, and peeing are all equally natural parts of human life, which is just what Ikea is inviting its customers to experience in their stores.
Source, images: Toychan
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