What began as an April Fool’s joke is about to become a reality for thousands of IKEA shoppers across the UK.
Following overwhelming demand, IKEA is bringing 65,000 limited-edition meatball-flavoured lollipops to IKEA stores across the UK from Friday 19th – Sunday 21st June – completely free of charge.
Created in partnership with Chupa Chups, the world-first lollipop combines the infamous flavours of IKEA’s iconic Swedish meatballs, rich gravy and tangy lingonberries in a sweet-and-savoury twist that has already captured the curiosity of foodie fans around the world.
The launch comes after the original April Fool’s reveal generated widespread social media attention, with customers calling on IKEA to make the unusual creation a reality. Since then, 75,000 lollipops have been sampled at Milan Design Week, helping pave the way for a global rollout of one million lollipops across more than 300 IKEA stores in 24 countries worldwide.
The UK launch aims to celebrate the curiosity, creativity and the joy that food can spark, hoping to create shared moments together and bring a taste of Sweden into everyday life.
Javier Quiñones, Commercial Manager at Ingka Group, said: “What started as a playful idea quickly became something we knew customers would love experiencing in real life. With one million meatball flavoured lollipops across 24 markets, we’re inviting people to celebrate Swedishness in an unexpected way, discovering a joyful taste of Sweden that sparks curiosity and brings a smile.”
Martin Hofling, Global Marketing Manager at Chupa Chups, added: “At Chupa Chups, we believe in turning everyday moments into fun and surprising experiences. Reimagining the iconic IKEA meatball flavour as a lollipop captures our ‘Forever Fun’ spirit, and we’re excited to share it with so many people worldwide.”
In store, getting your hands on one of the lollipops is part of the fun. Customers can take part in an interactive KALLAX-inspired game to receive their free sample. At some stores, a roaming life-size IKEA meatball character will also be walking around throughout the day. A giant lollipop picture spot will also be available for those wanting to capture the moment. Customers should check their local store page for specific timings and activations.
For anyone hoping to stock up, there is one catch: the lollipops are not available to buy and cannot be ordered online. Available for free, in-store only. Once they’re gone, they’re gone – so don’t miss out and perhaps rethink that lie-in this weekend.
