MANILA - IKEA Pasay City’s booking website appears no longer able to accept bookings until next week, as the furniture retailer opened its biggest store in the world on Thursday.

People who want to shop at IKEA need to book slots first via its website as the retailer tries to limit the number of people inside the store, in compliance with COVID-19 quarantine restrictions.

As of this writing, the booking dates only extend up to December 2, and no date is selectable anymore.

But even with its “no booking no shopping policy” a considerable crowd still turned up at the grand opening of IKEA Philippines.

Store Manager George Platzer said the building can accommodate about 8,000 people, which means only 4,000, including employees were allowed inside.

IKEA officials welcome customers as it opens its biggest store in the world on Thursday. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

IKEA officials welcome customers as it opens its biggest store in the world on Thursday. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

IKEA officials welcome customers as it opens its biggest store in the world on Thursday. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

The store also enforces health protocols including mandatory face masks, physical distancing, and frequent hand cleansing.

Platzer said in 2016, they visited Filipino homes to ask how their target market viewed their home life and family life. While the pandemic has made the process of opening the store more difficult, this has also led to a more unique IKEA store and staff.

“We had to do things differently here, we recruited online, we trained online, we planned online, we had to work from home. Something like this has never happened before to any other Ikea teams in the world. Yet here we are, competent and confident and ready to go,” Platzer said.

The store features a restaurant offering Swedish food and drinks, including the famed Swedish meatballs. Diners will need to be vaccinated to eat inside the restaurant.

Aileen Prodigalidad, Deputy Store Manager at IKEA Pasay City, said even with the limitations on customers, they have a positive outlook on the Christmas season, and 2022.

She said she also hopes that pandemic related restrictions will be eased further soon.

“Ang restrictions natin nagbabago, and nakakalabas na kahit papaano ang ating mga senior citizens, ang ating mga bata. So slowly bumubukas ang ating ekonomiya, so talagang very positive outlook,”

(Our restrictions are changing and senior citizens are now able to go out, at least, children too. So the economy is slowly opening up, so the outlook is really very positive.)

Meanwhile Platzer said that aside from ensuring safety amid the pandemic, IKEA is also striving to make a difference in sustainability.

“Our vision includes enabling an affordable, sustainable life at home, helping people to save energy, water, reduce waste, recycle more, through our product range. Everything for a better everyday life and a beter planet,” Platzer said.

He added tha this also extends to IKEA’s operations as it strives to have 50 percent of its food offerings become plant-based by 2030.

“We partnered with fantastic Rags 2 Riches, to support Filipino artisans, and we are working with one of our logistics partner, Mober, to deliver products without any additional footprint through electric vehicles,” he continued.

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