Ikea has had enough of teenagers having “non-sponsored sleepovers” in the company’s stores.
In this year alone, the Swedish furniture company has reported 10 “non-sponsored sleepovers.” Reports of people sleeping in Ikea stores have surfaced in the US, Canada, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, and Poland, according to BBC.
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Teens across the world were apparently inspired by a viral video shared by two Belgian YouTubers this past August. The clip showed the teens hiding in a wardrobe for three hours to avoid being caught by the store’s employees. Once they had the store to themselves, the teenagers documented their adventures in the store including jumping on the beds. They hid in the wardrobes once again in the morning, and were able to escape undetected.
Since sharing on the Internet, the video was viewed more than 1.7 million times.
The most recent incident involved a pair of 14-year-old girls who were caught spending the night at an Ikea location in Jonkoping, Sweden. The teenagers weren’t quite as fortunate as the original YouTubers who started the phenomenon as they were caught by the store’s employees. Because the girls are so young, Ikea decided against pursuing formal charges.
Two other girls who tried to hop in on the trend by having a sleepover at an Ikea found themselves in deep trouble with the law when they were caught by the police. The store employees reported them for trespassing.
A spokesperson for an Ikea in the UK gave this statement to BBC: “We appreciate that people are interested in Ikea and want to create fun experiences, however the safety and security of our co-workers and customers is our highest priority and that’s why we do not allow sleepovers in our stores. Maybe needless to say that the fun in it is overrated. A long night of sitting still, only to then risk getting into trouble with the law.”
The furniture giant owns and operates in almost 50 nations, and has nearly 400 stores across the world.
The YouTube users titled the original video clip: “Two Idiots At Night In Ikea.”
They wrote in the caption: “My best friend and I love to push the limits. We do not accept status quo. Life is about building experiences and memories. There is a quote that says: ‘Do not regret what you have done, regret what you have not done in your life.’ Life is one big youtube video. You should better make it interesting because when it comes to an end, you’re gone and you’ll never have a second chance.”
Check out the viral video below:
What are your thoughts about Ikea’s plea to teenagers to stop having sleepovers in the company’s stores?
[H/T BBC News]
