Although the first day of government-provided central heating has been brought forward by two days to Nov. 13, many Beijing residents are still dealing with chilly homes in the meantime. Some elderly residents have therefore made their way to IKEA to luxuriate in the store's heated shopping areas and cafeteria.

In recent days, IKEA’s cafeteria has been filled with elderly people reading, chatting and playing cards. A retired woman surnamed Li said that IKEA is the best place for elderly citizens in such cold weather. She always comes to IKEA together with her friends, as they can enjoy free water and coffee as well as the heating.

[File photo: customers in IKEA's cafeteria]

In the children’s zone, some grandparents look on as their grandchildren play. One grandmother explained that it is too cold for children to play outside. In IKEA, however, there is heating to prevent the children from catching colds. Meanwhile, there are facilities and equipment for kids to enjoy.

An IKEA employee confirmed that this scene has been common over the past two weeks, ever since the store began to provide heating. More and more people are coming to IKEA now, especially on weekdays.

The employee explained that they are accustomed to this phenomenon, as it also occurs each year during the summer, when residents descend on IKEA to enjoy the air conditioning. The employee said that since IKEA aims to offer comfortable living spaces, the store won’t intervene unless the elderly heat-seekers start to negatively impact the shopping experience of real customers.