Ikea's Beijing branch has dueling delivery drivers

BEIJING, CHINA – Freelance delivery drivers waiting outside Swedish-retailer Ikea’s Beijing branch were assaulted by people working for the company, state media reported Thursday.

Ni Xiaoyin, a spokesperson for the company, told the Global Times that the unlicensed delivery drivers were beaten by security guards employed by another company and not associated with Ikea.

Ikea’s Beijing store opened in 1999 and its trendy furnishings have become a hit with China’s rising middle class. The company offers its own delivery service for about $9.00-$15 and a 4% assembly fee for customers who choose that option. Ikea’s official delivery service takes three days.

Sensing an opportunity, drivers not affiliated with the company offer a competing service that charges half the price and offers immediate delivery and assembly. Ikea has said that it intends to crack down on delivery drivers who offer their services in the vicinity of the store.

Li Xiaolei, an unlicensed driver, contends that he was attacked while waiting in Ikea’s parking lot earlier this month. “Around 20 men, armed with steel pipes and walkie-talkies, hang out with the guards around Ikea’s gates on the weekend to drive us away,” Li told the newspaper.

Li described them as mafia-style gangsters organized by Ikea’s guards and paid about $29.00 and two packs of cigarettes a day.

One of assaulted men surnamed Wang had stitches removed last week and said that dozens of men rushed him and injured him with a walkie-talkie, leaving him with a cut that required four stitches above his eye.

Wang Linfeng, the brother of the injured, recalled that both parties were summoned to the police station but Wang was detained for four hours for allegedly wounding a guard in the fight.

“We have made fewer deliveries recently, but we plan to persist for awhile and see what happens,” Wang said.

Representatives for Ikea said that while they have no connection with the incident they will continue to investigate. They said that they have changed their policy and purchases made before 6:00 p.m. will be delivered immediately.