IKEA isn't just the largest furniture store in the world. It's also the amusement park of shopping malls – or a claustrophobic shoppers' hell, depending on both your mood and how mobbed the winding labyrinth of Swedish goods happens to be on any given day.
But did you know that there are secret shortcuts for those who just want to get in and out? The public is allowed to use the shortcuts, but there is no map on where they are. In fact, the shortcuts frequently change so that savvy customers don't get used to them and bypass the megastore's intended walkway.
The walkway, by the way, has a code name: Long Natural Way, aka Long Natural Path. Speaking of codes, if you hear an employee announcing "Code 99!" there's a lost kid roaming the path. If you hear an urgent "Code 22!" blasting through the speakers there are long lines at the registers and help is needed.
If you're a confused customer there isn't a code – you'll have to find an employee and ask for help. Employees are told not to approach customers to see if they need anything (this is the Swedish way).
After hours IKEA actually does become an amusement park, with employees moving the walls (yes, the walls move) to play hide-and-seek and compete in pallet jack races. To add to the merriment, at the end of the year employees receive awesome holiday gifts including electronics and even plane tickets.
Many more Behind the Scenes Secrets of IKEA Employees can be found here. Makes IKEA almost as intriguing as Disneyland!
Thanks Mental Floss!
