Ikea is rounding up pyjama fans to take part in a Guinness World Record event for the largest gathering of people wearing two-piece pyjamas next week (28 August) as it ramps up its focus on sleep.
Following the Guinness World Record event which will take place in Älmhult, Sweden, the retailer will be hosting global pyjama events across EMEA markets – including the UK – from 31 August. Customers who visit an Ikea store in their pyjamas will be able to take part in activities, knowledge-sharing and offers.
As part of its year-long focus on sleep, the retailer is focusing on six factors: comfort, light, sound, air quality, decluttering and storage.
It comes as research commissioned for Ikea’s Life At Home Report revealed that 55% of people rate sleep as their most important wellbeing activity at home.
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Despite this, studies show that as many as one in two adults report dissatisfaction with their sleep, which impacts their daily functioning and work performance. Studies also show lower socio-economically disadvantaged groups have a higher chance of experiencing sleep issues.
“Our customers’ interest in sleep has been on the rise for years,” said Ingka retail manager CCO Tolga Öncü.
“For example, bedroom furniture has become our biggest online business, and in FY24 we have seen extra demand for bedroom storage and bed textiles – such as sheets, bedspreads, comforters.
“The message from our customers has been quite clear – they want more sleep tips, more sleep solutions, and even more convenience in reaching their dream sleep setup. This is what we aim to respond to in FY25.”
Ikea’s recent social campaign celebrating the arrival of its click-and-collect service saw it release a series of social media first films featuring humorous anthropomorphic iterations of Ikea stores.
The retailer also poked fun at its pretentious kitchen rival earlier this year, in a spoof posh kitchen ad which was then revealed to be for Ikea itself.
In 2023 the retailer doubled its UK profit as sales surged to £2.46bn.
