IKEA helps eliminate loneliness during holidays with the “No Empty Chairs at Christmas” project

IKEA Switzerland aims to battle loneliness this festive season with its newly launched initiative dubbed “No Empty Chairs at Christmas.” The furniture retailer is offering a match-making (not dating) service now, allowing each person who doesn’t have a company on December 24-26 to finally find it through a dedicated site.

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Pic.: A screenshot of IKEA’s No Empty Chairs at Christmas website (click to enlarge)

A person is to enter some basic information to find a perfect match. For instance, users who want to be guests or hosts indicate in which canton of Switzerland they live, which language they speak, how many places they are looking for/offering and if they will have kids with them. Guests and hosts-to-be also upload their photos and write a few lines about themselves. The initiative can be joined by people aged 18+.

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Pic.: A screenshot of IKEA’s No Empty Chairs at Christmas website, a table of hosts (click to enlarge)

Once the registration is complete, the user gets an access to all the guests and hosts, can see their profiles and write short messages to any of them.

IKEA warns that the new online destination is only a platform to find companions for the time of celebrations, and the brand is not responsible for users’ decisions to invite somebody or go to somebody found on the site.

“At IKEA, we believe that noone should be lonely over Christmas if they don’t want to be. So, whether your family is abroad, you are a single mum or dad, grandma or grandad or you are simply single, somewhere there is a place for you and people who would love to celebrate with you,” says the brand.