- A massive snowstorm in Denmark trapped around 30 people in an IKEA store overnight.
- Employees and customers spent the night sleeping in beds in the showroom.
- Store manager Peter Elmose told Insider it was a “fun” evening and a “once in a lifetime” experience.
A snowstorm left about 25 IKEA workers and six customers stranded overnight at an Ikea store in Aalborg, Denmark.
After 12 inches of snow rapidly fell, those trapped inside the store had an impromptu sleepover on Wednesday night.
“It was a once in a lifetime experience,” IKEA’s store manager Peter Elmose told Insider. “I’ve been working in IKEA, and I’ve never experienced this before.”
Elmose said the group spent the evening watching TV, playing card games, and eating food in the staff cafeteria, before retiring to bed in the showroom displays.
He said they brought in sofas from the living room section and watched Christmas movies and a Liverpool-Everton soccer match using a big projector.
“We had some hot cinnamon buns, hot chocolate, and coffee. There was even some beer,” said Elmose.
Trapped by a snowstorm, customers and IKEA staff hang out in the staff cafeteria.
Courtesy of Peter Elmose
Trapped by a snowstorm, customers and IKEA staff hang out in the staff cafeteria.
Courtesy of Peter Elmose
Elmose said that during the evening, three women who worked at a store in the neighborhood came and asked to shelter with them.
“They heard on the news that we were in this IKEA, and so they walked 700 meters in the snowstorm and knocked on our door,” he said.
“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.”
Around 11pm members of the group chose where they wanted to sleep, having their pick of IKEA’s vast showroom of beds and sofas.
“Everybody found a nice and comfortable bed and could test and try out our range,” he said.
Peter Elmose (L) looks on as customers and employees choose beds to sleep in the IKEA showroom.
Courtesy of Peter Elmose
Elmose woke them up for coffee and more cinnamon buns in the morning and gifted each customer with a free pillow as a memento for the “memorable experience.”
“In the morning, of course, we changed the bed linen and bedspreads, and it was ready for customers at 10 o’clock,” he said.
