At Ikea, Chinese shoppers make themselves at home

This picture taken on July 5, 2017 shows a mother with her child escaping the summer heat by relaxing on a sofa in a Ikea store in downtown Shanghai. - AFP

SHANGHAI: When it’s sweltering in Shanghai, do as the locals do and settle down for a nap at Ikea - if you can find an open bed.  

Chinese have a peculiar penchant for making themselves at home in the Swedish retailer’s air-conditioned showrooms, snoozing on beds, dozing on couches, and eating at dinner tables - and the phenomenon is on full display as the sweltering summer sets in.