IKEA Focuses on Sleepeasy With New Pop-Up Event

IKEA U.S. is making new strides in the furniture retail market by launching The IKEA Sleepeasy, which is an immersive pop-up event that will take place in New York from Aug. 8-11 and Aug. 15-18, 2024. The event is free and open to the public at 51 Crosby St., SoHo.

This interactive exhibition highlights what is believed to be the sleep essentials:

1. Air-quality
2. Light
3. Sound
4. Comfort
5. Temperature
6. Decluttering

The entire experience is meant to be playful and one-of-a-kind. It’s modeled after a reimagined Swedish bodega. Visitors will enter via a hidden door and explore multi-level exhibits packed full of live music, themed discos, IKEA food, and moments designed to be shared on social media.

The event also introduces IKEA’s new range of affordable sleep products, including mattresses, comforters, and air purifiers, designed for improved sleep quality.

In other news for the retailer, IKEA launched a virtual store in Roblox called “The Co-Worker” on June 24, where players could experience IKEA’s unique career approach and create virtual dream homes using IKEA products. The company offered paid virtual roles at £13.15 or €14.80 per hour for Roblox players in the UK and Ireland, ages 18 and over. Applications opened on June 3 and closed on June 16, with a virtual interview process from June 14-18. The game featured immersive experiences, including visiting a virtual Swedish Food Market and Bistro and managing IKEA’s virtual items. This initiative marked IKEA’s first venture into digital entertainment.

Furthermore, in the realm of furniture retail, Wayfair announced plans to open its first physical store this past May 23 at Edens Plaza in Wilmette, Illinois. The 150,000-square-foot store has a restaurant named “The Porch.” This move marked Wayfair’s initial step into physical retail, despite previously operating trial stores for its other brands like Joss & Main and AllModern.

The expansion came amid challenges, including a 1.8% drop in annual sales for 2023 to $12 billion and a net loss for the year. Wayfair also had recently laid off 1,650 employees, following previous reductions. Analysts suggested that the new store could boost visibility and sales, aligning with the trend of omnichannel shopping where customers preferred to experience products in-store before purchasing. If successful, this could lead to further physical store expansions for Wayfair.