IKEA stores in Denmark could be converted into emergency shelters or temporary hospitals during blackouts, floods or attacks on critical infrastructure, as European countries strengthen plans to keep essential services running during crises.
Torben Mortensen, security chief at Denmark’s largest IKEA store, said the retailer could use its large buildings, display beds, warehouse supplies, restaurant kitchens and generators to support communities during emergencies.
The initiative reflects a broader European effort to involve private businesses in crisis response, alongside government agencies and emergency services. Concerns about cyberattacks, suspected sabotage and other activities European officials have linked to Russia have increased the urgency of such preparations. Moscow denies the accusations.
IKEA is part of Denmark’s Corporate Coalition for Crisis Preparedness, a network that identifies resources businesses could provide during emergencies, including food, beds, transport and specialist personnel.
Network chief executive Maja Broloes said IKEA was well suited to the role because its stores combine large spaces, supplies, food facilities and backup generators.
The idea has already been tested in practice. During deadly floods in Spain’s Valencia region in October 2024, IKEA converted one of its stores into a shelter for more than 600 people. The company said it does not operate a global preparedness programme, with arrangements handled separately in each country.
The European Union has also encouraged closer cooperation between governments and businesses through its Preparedness Union Strategy, launched in March 2025.
Other countries are adopting similar measures. Denmark’s supermarket operator Salling Group is preparing 51 stores to operate for up to 48 hours without electricity or internet access. Estonia requires 300 companies to maintain critical services during emergencies, while Finland relies on cooperation between authorities, businesses and non-governmental organisations to protect essential supplies.
In Poland, certain companies are legally required to make vehicles, machinery and property available to the armed forces during a crisis.
Denmark’s preparedness network includes more than 200 companies employing over 300,000 people. It helps authorities identify businesses capable of providing assistance and is establishing a government-backed compensation system for participating firms.
Although the network has conducted preparedness exercises with public authorities, it has not yet faced a major real-world emergency.
However, an incident in December 2021 offered a small example of IKEA’s potential as an emergency shelter. A snowstorm trapped six customers and about two dozen employees overnight at a store in Aalborg, where they slept in display beds before staff reopened the store the following morning.
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