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Ikea Will Soon Be Offering Customers Reading Rooms, Where You Can Even Take a Book Home for Free

By July 25, 2018News, Reading Habits

As though it weren’t easy enough to lose track of time wandering around Ikea, the furniture giant has now announced that it will soon be hosting Reading Rooms, a place where members of the public will be able to go to sit back, relax, enjoy a good book, and even take it home free of charge.

As Metro reports, Ikea has partnered up with the Man Booker Prize to offer visitors a place where they can get comfy and enjoy one of many great books on offer. If you find yourself becoming engrossed in your book, then you can take it home with you for free! You might be wondering how that differs from your local library, but does your local library provide you with delicious Swedish meatballs? Didn’t think so.



The Reading Rooms will have a selection of 13 books to choose from and Ikea and the Man Booker Prize are hoping it will promote reading for pleasure and relaxation. The idea came about after a study by Ikea found that 64% of British people believe that TVs, laptops, and smartphones bring stress into the home. On top of that, research carried out by the University of Sussex found that reading for as little as six minutes each day can reduce stress levels by 68%.

“The reading rooms give us a chance to use our retail space to inspire people to think about the importance of relaxation at home,” said Luis Lopez, head of living rooms of IKEA UK and Ireland.

“Reading at home is good for your health and the living room is the perfect, tranquil setting to do so, providing a peaceful haven from the outside world. In partnering with The Man Booker Prize we know we are giving people the chance to read the best of this year’s books.”

The literary director of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood, urged people to read to reclaim their imagination.

“If you associate reading with holidays then you probably associate it with indulgence,” she said. “And – it’s true – reading fiction can be, at its best, a form of escapism. But that doesn’t make it a guilty pleasure; it’s more like a fast route to better health. Our homes are filled with devices that allow the digital world to encroach on our private lives.”

If you want to give the Reading Rooms a try then they will be open from Tuesday 31 July to 5 August at the Wembley store in south London. You’ll need to book your one-hour slot online, but it’s free to do so.



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