Probably cheaper than TV/mail advertising per-customer-acquisition or per-additional-dollar-o-profit.

You are correct. It has long been a secret in the advertising industry that adult players of "hide and seek" games are among the most profitable and sought after demographics for purchasing of interior home furnishings. [1]

The only problem has been how to narrowly target this highly sought after group of customers. Because they are notoriously difficult to locate.

I think OP means IKEA doesn't need any advertisement. Who isn't aware of IKEA? And every IKEA I've ever been in has been so packed that I don't think encouraging more people to shop there is their primary worry.

IKEA is heavily advertised in Europe, and I suspect it has better name recognition here than in the USA.

Until someone injures themselves climbing up a storage rack, or someone hides in a refrigerator and suffocates. The liability is massive.

Refrigerators are safer now

How?

The ones that fall on people have been outcompeted by friendlier ones after the prey learned. Just evolution as usual.

They have a limit on how much force it takes to open them from the inside

Older refrigerators (50's/60's) had a locking handle

Could just as well turn off real customers who head home when the store has turned into a playground.

"We prefer the usual no holds barred madhouse where there are no rules. I mean, in hide and seek you're not allowed to ram full speed into someone with your cart with a passive aggressive 'sorry'!"

hahahahaha best comment all night