(Shanghai) IKEA tried to kick them out. But Shanghai seniors still meet every week in the cafeteria of the furniture store, an unlikely place of cruising where they hope to find love.
Every Tuesday, hundreds occupy the tables of the spacious restaurant. No traditional Swedish meatballs on the menu, but tea, snacks and even alcohol. All brought from home.
These widowers or divorcees, whose children have already left the family home, want to find their soul mate in this place whose atmosphere and noise level are more reminiscent of a school canteen than an establishment for the elderly.
“There’s nothing embarrassing about talking about this. It’s not just young people who need love. Old people too,” Qingqing, a former retirement home director with impeccable makeup, told AFP.
A man dressed in a fur coat, cap and sunglasses rubs shoulders with a lady in leopard print. Others are seated to chat or even wander around the room approaching potential companions.
These lively retirees exchange tangerines and tea or litter the tables with walnut shells.
Of the 297 million Chinese aged 60 and over, a quarter are single, according to official figures.
And if several generations lived under the same roof in China in the past, many elders now live alone.
“I feel alone all the time. Life is very boring at my age […] I would like to find a new partner,” Gu Yijun, a dynamic 73-year-old divorced ex-bus driver, told AFP.
Cigarette and whiskey
PHOTO HECTOR RETAMAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
These meetings at IKEA have existed for more than 10 years. But no one knows exactly how it all started. There is no point of organizer here: most of the people interviewed say they heard about the gathering through friends.
The IKEA store is an hour and a half from his house. But he says he is optimistic about his chances of finding the right fit.
“It’s also a way to relax and have fun. It’s always better than staying at home and looking in the mirror, being alone with your reflection,” he philosophizes.
These meetings at IKEA have existed for more than 10 years. But no one knows exactly how it all started. There is no point of organizer here: most of the people interviewed say they heard about the gathering through friends.
“It’s difficult for us to go to more upscale places,” so the simple and inexpensive environment of IKEA “suits us better,” Xu Yizhen, a friend of Qingqing, told AFP.
IKEA was initially not very happy that it had become a place for cruising and tried to prevent these encounters.
The store had hired additional security guards, blocked access to restaurant chairs and hung a sign asking the group to no longer meet, according to Chinese and foreign press.
But no tension now.
At a recent gathering, staff didn’t bat an eyelid when a man, dressed in a teddy bear-patterned suit, walked around with a cigarette in hand, offering whiskey to the other attendees.
IKEA “is aware of the loneliness of elderly people in the neighborhood who need care and interaction,” a representative of the brand told AFP.
“So the store would like to offer them a place where they can feel at home and meet friends,” he said.
“Quite selective”
PHOTO HECTOR RETAMAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
IKEA was initially not very happy that it had become a place for cruising and tried to prevent these encounters.
IKEA is not the only meeting place for seniors in Shanghai. Some also go to People’s Park in central Shanghai.
On a recent Sunday, in very cool temperatures, many were bundled up in thick down jackets and chatting.
The shyest ones stood apart from the group and waited to be approached.
But what are the chances of finding true love in these places?
“It’s still unlikely to find (a suitable partner at IKEA) because you have both good men and other less desirable goods,” Qingqing said.
According to Gu Yijun, the ex-driver, it is difficult for “less well-off” people to find someone. Li Shiqi, a painter familiar with the place, deplores the fact that some have “quite selective” criteria.
“According to some, the success rate here is less than 3%,” he says.
The 74-year-old man, however, says he met a woman last month, currently traveling.
“We had a crush on each other. I like her appearance and her age, she is relatively young,” he explains.
“I’m waiting for her to come back and if we’re ready to start a romantic relationship at that point, we’ll get together. »