Swedish retailer IKEA is known for making furniture that is fun, functional and pretty inexpensive. But the company's also known for its good will and charming stunts, as we've seen multiple times over the years.
For its latest act, IKEA partnered with a movie theater in Russia and surprised theatergoers by replacing boring movie seats with decked out beds.
Moviegoers basically got the best surprise of all time, but that was just one of IKEA's many delightful antics this year. From vegetarian meatballs to (almost) mandatory napping on furniture, take a look at the 8 other times IKEA totally owned 2014:
Advertisement
1
That time the retailer turned its China store into a giant nap room...
Getty Images
If you've ever been to a furniture store, you might have experienced that laying down to "test" out a mattress or sofa could result in dozing off for a bit. But at one store store in China, IKEA put out signs encouraging people to take a rest.
2
That time IKEA confirmed the coming of vegetarian meatballs
Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com/Flickr
It's no secret that one of the big draws of going to IKEA is the delicious meatballs (about 150 million are sold each year). In 2014, the retailer made sure that everyone could enjoy its meatballs by saying a vegetarian version would be on its way.
3
That time IKEA made a mirror that just complimented people all day...
IKEA UK/YouTube
After finding out that most people need a good compliment or two in the morning to start their days off right, IKEA decided to "reinvent the mirror" by commissioning a real life "mirror, mirror on the wall" that doled out compliments at one store in the UK. We're not sure how much it costs, but this "motivational mirror" seems worth every penny.
Advertisement
4
That time the retailer held a sleepover at its Australia store...
Associated Press
Yep, this happened. For one night only, IKEA Australia allowed patrons to sleep over in the store, get a free breakfast and even keep the sheets they slept on. The best part? IKEA announced the offer in an AirBnB listing.
5
That time IKEA helped rescue dogs find owners...
Compassionate Eye Foundation/David Leahy via Getty Images
Adorable pooches AND pretty furniture? Say no more. In select stores, the retailer posted cardboard cutouts of adoptable dogs among its furniture. The dogs' info was stored on QR codes so customers could scan the codes for more information.
6
That time IKEA recreated "The Shining" to promote late night shopping...
IKEA
It's nice to know that IKEA Singapore has a good sense of humor, even if it's a tad creepy. The store recreated a scene from The Shining to freak out customers, introduce late-night shopping hours and wow us with yet another "so IKEA" moment.
Advertisement
7
That time the retailer fed customers free meals on Black Friday...
isriya/Flickr
Black Friday shopping is always terrible, but IKEA found a way to make the experience way better by offering free meals if customers spent more than $100 on home furnishings.
8
That time IKEA finally started selling stationary and gift-wrapping...
IKEA
IKEA announced earlier this year that stationary will be sold at its new Paper Shop, making the Swedish retailer essentially a one-stop shop for everything furniture and fun. Meatballs, nap rooms and now colorful stationary -- what more could a person want?
Related
Before You Go
