Martina Smedberg

Ikea has stopped plans by thousands of people to play hide-and-seek in its maze-like stores in the Netherlands. After a spirited round of the children's game attracted hundreds of people to a Belgian Ikea outlet last summer, the world's biggest furniture retailer has forbidden similar events in several of its Dutch stores, citing safety reasons. The organizers of the games, who got word out over Facebook, are now looking for alternative locations.