MANILA, Philippines — Shopping during the holidays has its string of challenges – from heavy traffic to overcrowding.
Swedish retailer Ikea ticked off one less worry at least when it recently transformed its Smaland function room into a daycare center, where shoppers can temporarily leave their kids – helpful especially for those who worry that their kids might get bored, become uncomfortable or lost in the crowd, or break something inside the store.
Spruced up in a “magical forest” theme, Smaland is equipped with the store’s furniture for kids, as well as soft toys to play with. These toys include the Blavingad collection inspired by ocean creatures and made of recycled plastic waste from the ocean; as well as the Aftonsparv collection, which features “out-of-this-world” designs of spaceships, astronauts, and aliens created in collaboration with a group of children who love space.
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The daycare room is spacious enough for kids to interact and socialize. There is a ball pool as well as tents where they can pretend-play as astronauts and sellers. Outside, a small cinema for kids seems to be on the works. From here, the mascot versions of Ikea’s soft toys emerge to greet and take pictures with kids.
According to the brand, the use of Smaland is free, but only for an hour and only for kids 100 to 130-centimeters tall. There is no purchase required before or after using the daycare.
The daycare is manned by the store’s uniformed staff. They only require one to present a government-issued identification card before dropping off a child in the room and in picking up the little munchkin.