Hiding out in a maze-like Ikea store would have been easy. Some customers already lose their way among the flat packs and soil-repellent shagpile rugs, fearful they might never find home again.

Plenty of hiding spots: Ikea Tempe.

But the purveyor of meatballs and funny-named footstools has blocked plans for about 30,000 people to play a giant game of hide-and-seek in one of its Sydney stores, echoing bans it has imposed abroad.

The unofficial event at the Swedish retailer's store in Tempe was embraced on Facebook, by people planning to hide in wardrobes and under-bed storage units. But Ikea warned that playing hide-and-seek at its stores "raises security issues for both customers and co-workers". "At all times Ikea must be able to guarantee a safe environment, therefore we encourage people to play hide-and-seek at other places," it said in a statement.