IKEA stores slated to serve as emergency shelters in Denmark

IKEA Denmark is preparing to turn its biggest outlets into emergency shelters, offering meals, power and makeshift beds if a flood, blackout or attack occurs, according to security chief Torben Mortensen. The plan leverages the store’s dining facilities, backup generators and flat-pack furniture, and would be reimbursed through a new state compensation scheme. IKEA joins more than 200 companies in the Corporate Coalition for Crisis Preparedness, led by Maja Broloes, which maps private resources for national emergencies.

The concept builds on past incidents, including a 2021 snowstorm that left customers sleeping on showroom beds and a 2024 Valencia flood where an IKEA store sheltered over 600 people. European governments are increasingly seeking private-sector support for resilience, with Estonia and Poland already imposing legal duties on firms, and the EU’s Preparedness Union Strategy promoting similar cooperation across the bloc.