People speechless as hordes of shoppers filmed queuing for hours to get into IKEA

In lockdown, everyone has had to give up a few of their creature comforts – going to the pub with your friends, a takeaway coffee, dinner parties.

For some other people, the element that’s been missing in their lives is IKEA. As some elements of the Covid-19 lockdown are eased around the UK, 19 IKEA stores have reopened in northern Ireland and England.

That’s led to hour-long queues to even be able to get in the store. In Wednesbury, a woman said that she was the first in line – by getting there at 5.45 am. People started to join the queue not long after, and the queue now snakes around the parking lot.

In Belfast, shoppers have been waiting in line since 7am. Customers in Croydon and Wembley have been complaining of queues that apparently stretch for five miles.

Aerial photos show people queueing, with social distancing, around parking lots. People on social media were asking what could possibly be so important that going to IKEA was the first thing people did as lockdown eased.

Temperatures hitting 21 degrees in parts of the UK, and IKEA’s parking lot may not really be the ideal place to hang out in during the hottest hours of the day.

Other people have pointed out that it may be difficult to maintain social distancing in the stores, although IKEA has clarified that they have new safety measures in stores and that only one person from a household is allowed to come in.

IKEA has also restricted the number of customers allowed into shops at any one time, and car parks will have restricted parking.

Customers also have to come with their own shopping bags, and bring their own lists.

IKEA stores are remaining closed in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as guidelines are different elsewhere, so people outside of England and NI may have to wait a little longer for lingonberry jam and Billy bookcases.