Elderly romance under pressure at IKEA canteen
Print Edition
IKEA Shanghai’s Xuhui store is trying once again to take back control of its canteen, which has been turned into a matchmaking corner for the elderly.
The latest measure — “order food first, then take seat” — was launched after customers complained the elderly were occupying tables for excessive periods, leaving other diners unable to be seated.
The elderly were also accused of talking too loudly, bringing in their own food, and even quarreling or fighting, the company said.
Over the past few years, many single senior citizens have come to the canteen on Tuesdays and Thursdays to meet friends and perhaps find a potential partner.
Its spacious room, offer of free coffee, and easy accessibility via public transport make the canteen an ideal meeting place. However, elderly patrons returning yesterday for their first get-together after the holiday, were in for a surprise.
They found the eating area railed off and they were reminded by staff they needed to buy food first before occupying a seat.
“Today is the first test of the new measure and we are still reviewing the results,” an IKEA spokeswoman, Tang Qiang, said.
This is not the first time the multinational company has tried to keep order in its canteen. In 2011, it tried — unsuccessfully — to steer the matchmaking group to one corner of the canteen to minimalize their effect on other customers.
A frequenter of the twice-weekly gatherings, Zhang Xiaofang, 63, told Shanghai Daily that some elderly people had had arguments with staff or other diners over refusing to give up their seats for diners in peak hours. “But some are cooperative, and many people prefer to come after lunchtime to avoid the conflicts.”
Zhang, whose husband died 15 years ago, added it had now become too difficult to find a partner. “I come here mainly to meet and talk with other elderly people. We are very lonely and there are not many places for us to meet new friends.”
Most elderly people in attendance yesterday accepted the changed situation with good grace. About 60 of them stood around tables outside the eating area, while others bought food to get inside the eating area. Some ordered a full meal, others just the cheapest items on offer, such as a cup of coffee or bread.
However, one elderly woman, who declined to be identified, said one staffer had asked her to leave the sitting area after she had returned her tray.
“They assume I did not order the food as there’s no tray on my table,” she said. Her friends advised her that next time, she should put the food aside and not eat it until she was ready to leave her seat.
A 37-year-old diner, surnamed Jin, is uncertain how effective IKEA’s new measure will, as “there are always people who keep occupying the tables just for chatting, whether youngsters or elderly.”
Another diner, surnamed Gu who is 68, said the matchmaking group could be very annoying on occasion, as some of them spoke very loudly, or left litter around the canteen.
Gu said he and his wife often came to IKEA for lunch when visiting Xujiahui area and he thought it understandable that IKEA had taken the action it had. “But I also understand the old group. Many old people are very lonely, particularly the single ones.”
Elderly people’s needs could not be met “as there are not enough public facilities for us. However, this is a social problem, not IKEA’s responsibility,” Gu said.
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