London - Ikea 1

(updated 25th December 2006)

Man Stabbed in Ikea Opening Chaos (10th February 2005)

Safety fears forced the store to shut 30 minutes after it opened. A man was stabbed and several people hurt in the crush as a crowd of thousands forced a flagship Ikea superstore to close on its opening night. Cars were abandoned on the roadside and customers were crushed in the chaos which ensued after the furniture store in north London launched at midnight. The new outlet in Edmonton, the biggest Ikea in England, was due to trade for a full 24 hours, but shut up shop within around half an hour after an "unforeseen volume of customers'' descended in the early hours. A spokeswoman said it was decided to close for the safety of customers and staff, and the store would remain shut until further notice. "Ikea Edmonton regrets to announce that a decision has been taken to close the store on opening night. "The decision was made in the interests of health and safety for all Ikea customers and co-workers,'' she said.

Man stabbed in IKEA store chaos Thu 10 Feb, 2005 7:22:56 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - One man has been stabbed and several injured after 4,000 people flocked to the midnight opening of a new Ikea furniture superstore in north London, emergency services say. The Swedish furniture giant was forced to close the store in Edmonton after 30 minutes when it was overwhelmed by shoppers seeking to buy heavily discounted items. "There were 500 people behind me and they were all trying to get through a three-foot gap," shopper Jolene Cooper told Sky News about her experience outside the store's entrance on Thursday. "They kept on trying to shut the doors and not let anyone in, so all the people behind were pushing me. I was really scared. "Shortly after midnight there were1,000 cars queuing to get into the car park with some bargain-hunters abandoning their vehicles on the busy A406 North Circular road to get to the store on foot. The store had been offering huge discounts, including leather sofas at35 pounds for customers arriving between midnight and 3 a.m., as part of a planned 24 hours of opening bargains. Police said the stabbed man had sustained his injury in the area of the store, adding that his injury was not life-threatening. Five other people were taken to hospital, one suffering from chest pains. London Fire Brigade said they helped Ambulance staff deal with 22 people suffering from heat exhaustion and crush injuries. IKEA could not immediately be reached for comment. Last September two men were trampled to death in a rush to claim vouchers when IKEA opened its first store in Saudi Arabia.

Scenes from the Ikea Store - 10th February 2005

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Chaos at Ikea opening
By Oliver Finegold and Chris Millar, Evening Standard. 10 February 2005

Five people are in hospital today after hundreds were crushed as the opening of England's biggest Ikea store turned into a riot. Nine ambulances were sent to the outlet in north London after reports that up to 20 people had suffered heat exhaustion when the opening at midnight descended into chaos. Staff closed the doors after half an hour amid fears the stampede could become a Hillsborough-style crush. Security guards said they were put "under siege" by customers who attacked them, leaving one guard with a dislocated jaw. The store remains closed and a cleanup operation is under way. Ikea apologised for the chaos and admitted the store was understaffed - but added that some customers "behaved like animals".

Up to 7,000 flocked to the Edmonton store lured by adverts promising huge discounts, including £45 sofas and £30 bed frames, to those who bought before 3am. When the main doors opened 40 security guards were overwhelmed and crowds pushed through, leaving people pinned to the wall or trampled on the ground. Security guard Gerard Visagie said "I have never felt so threatened. It was madness. A guard next to me was punched by a customer. He had his jaw dislocated. People were punching and kicking me and screaming. We were under siege.'  Paramedics said they had feared a disaster. An ambulance service source said. "I thought it could be another Hillsborough. It's a miracle no one was killed." Video footage showed shoppers fighting over furniture - one man was pinned against a wall by a burly customer as they argued over a sofa - while others were stretchered into ambulances. After 30 minutes the store was closed, staff holding up signs written in marker pen against the glass doors to announce the fact. The crowd refused to disperse and some tried to smash their way in. More than 30 police tried to keep the peace amid fights between Ikea staff and shoppers. Firefighters freed trapped customers. Assistant Divisional Officer William Bird said: "I have not attended anything like this before." Traffic on the A406 seized up as people stuck in jams for more than an hour abandoned their cars. John Olie, the deputy head of Ikea in Britain who oversaw the opening, said he was "shocked and overwhelmed". He admitted staff underestimated customer numbers and there were not enough security guards. "As soon as I saw the crowds I knew there would be problems," he said. "People were jumping the queue. We will review future openings. "We are used to 1,000 people appearing, not 7,000." He said the store would only be reopened when it was safe to do so. Earlier, an Ikea spokeswoman said: "It's fair to say we misjudged it but some shoppers behaved like animals and started shoving and pushing. There's not much we can do to stop that." One Ikea worker said: "We closed the doors, but some people got stuck in them. We tried letting in people one by one but they ran through again." Customers criticised the store. "I'm amazed at how badly organised it was," said Karni Mahmood, 37, from Enfield. "I only came here to buy a cheap sofa." Latyia Arpesh, 23, from Tottenham, said: "I was pushed to the ground and people clambered over me. I feared for my life."Avril Nanton, 46, from Edmonton, left the queue after four hours: "Near the front there was a sense of camaraderie. But when the doors opened, people at the back ran to the entrance. Everyone was upset, people were fighting. I saw a woman held down by a group of girls." Ben Adetimle, 31, from Leytonstone, added: "I bought a sofa but when I turned my back someone stole it. I'm not upset. It's just furniture, not worth dying over." As medics helped the injured, customers carried on shopping. A woman with pot plants said: "I've come from Birmingham for this." Jilal Patel, 29, from Tottenham, said: "I was queuing at 11am. Nothing is going to stop me from getting my sofa."

Ikea reopens after crowd disorder

Police were called to the Ikea store when the chaos erupted. The flagship Ikea store which was the scene of crowd chaos among midnight bargain hunters has reopened. The store in Edmonton, London, opened its doors again at 1700 GMT on Friday after consultation with the police and the local council. Five people were taken to hospital after Thursday's early morning crush as crowds flocked for the huge discounts. The company had expected 2,000 customers but about 6,000 turned up. Counselling service Police were called to the store when bargain-hunters tried to force their way into the store. An Ikea spokesman said there were no special offers for the reopening of the store. "Safety and security of our customers and co-workers is our primary concern and given the experiences of Wednesday night we did not want to be overwhelmed by the volume of customers through our doors," he said. At the official opening cut-price offers included a three-seater leather sofa for £45 and a double bed frame for £30.  The Ikea spokesman said that a counselling service had been set up for the workers by the company following the events. Bosses have also increased the number of security staff inside and outside the store.