24 Hour Retail

It started with convenience and grocery stores staying open around the clock to meet the busy schedules of consumers. But it’s not all diapers and milk being sold afterhours. Apple continues to sell lots of computers, ipods, and iphones from it’s Fifth Ave store 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Ikea’s got a new take on 24 retailing, spending the night.

Later this month, Ikea Norway will let shoppers sleep overnight in one of its two Oslo warehouses, an operation that will last a week. “It will be like an alternative hostel,” said company spokesman Frode Ullebust.

“There will be the regular dormitory with lots of beds stacked up together. We will also have a bridal suite, with a round bed and a hanging chandelier, and the luxury suite, where customers can enjoy breakfast in bed,” he said. Family rooms will also be available for parents and children to join into the Ikea fun. None of the guests will be charged for their stay.

Apparently Ikea’s Norwegian stores are quite popular summer tourist destinations. Nearly 1 million visitors head to the four stores adjacent to large southern cities. The traffic is the result of vacationers from the northern part of the country including Ikea as a stop on their trips to the south.

Maybe we’ll see some other furniture retailers try this out. You’d get a pretty decent sized room at a Manhattan Crate and Barrel.

More on the Ikea Hosel from the Guardian.