A supermarket in Helsinki is opening its doors to a hundred customers who want to escape the heatwave on Saturday night
ADVERTISEMENTA supermarket in Finland has received lots of attention for its unique idea to help customers escape Europe's heatwave this weekend.
K-Supermarket in Helsinki said Wednesday that it would open its doors for one night only this weekend to offer customers an air-conditioned place to sleep.
Customers must bring their own essentials for sleeping and arrive at the branch before the shop closes on Saturday evening. "We will provide a breakfast," the supermarket added.
However, the post proved quite popular, and, at the time of writing, has been shared almost 2,000 times, has received more than 5,000 likes and attracted hundreds of comments.
The reaction prompted the supermarket to follow-up on Thursday night to say it had been overwhelmed by responses, and now had to limit Saturday night's capacity to 100 people who would be contacted via private message.
Some Facebook users had questions before they could be convinced to sign up. One user asked, "what does the health inspector have to say about this?"
In a direct response, the supermarket said its health permits were fine, and that health officials had wished the group a pleasant evening.
Other Facebook users praised the supermarket's "friendly service" after it said it was simply responding to customer requests.
Other businesses folllowing suit
All is not lost for those who missed out on staying at the K-Supermarket branch in Helsinki on Saturday night.
In Oulu, situated 600km north of Helsinki, the Alexander Health Club is also opening its doors on Saturday evening for 10-15 people hoping for respite from the soaring temperatures.
Thanking K-Supermarket for the inspiration in its own Facebook post, the health club said it would provide the selected individuals with dressing rooms, storage facilities, showers, an infrared sauna, and cappuccinos.