Long, snaking queues of customers formed outside homeware giant IKEA as it reopened 19 of its stores on Monday after weeks under lockdown.
Thousands lined up in socially-distanced queues in the car parks at branches in England and Northern Ireland, with some customers arriving at 5.30am to be among the first to enter.
IKEA reopened with new safety measures in place and limits on the number of customers allowed inside at any one time. Social distancing “wardens” patrolled the stores and surrounding areas to guide people around a one-way system and ensure they were keeping two metres apart.
The 19 reopened stores are in Croydon, Greenwich, Lakeside, Wembley, Tottenham, Norwich collection point, Birmingham, Nottingham, Belfast, Manchester, Warrington, Gateshead, Leeds, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Reading, Southampton, Bristol and Exeter.
Images of the massive queues were posted online, with many saying they gave up after several hours of queueing.
Amy, from Leeds, tweeted: “If you’re considering going to IKEA in Birstall today – don’t bother unless you want to queue for 6+ hours.”
She posted videos of the queues, before tweeting again: “Everyone was then informed they’d been in the ‘wrong queue’ and moved to the upper level to join. When we left the queue was from the door to past the car park entrance. IKEA in Leeds don’t bother.”
Another person said: “Folks. OK I know IKEA’s reopened but it’s not a good idea to go today or this week for that matter. Plus the cafeteria looks closed so no Swedish meatballs so it’s like why would you go really?”
Play areas and restaurants in the stores will stay shut, but customers can buy IKEA’s popular meatballs in food courts to cook at home.
IKEA has said click and collect facilities are opening in a phased approach and in line with government guidelines, depending on which UK region the stores are in.
Extra hand sanitiser and more frequent deep cleans of shared items and areas such as bags, trolleys, bathrooms, equipment and touch screens will take place. The stores will also only accept payments by card of contactless device only.
