They dove under duvets, stood in showers and posed at kitchen tables when Bristol's Ikea furniture store became the latest location for a "flashmob".

The charity event saw people from across the city assemble at 12pm, freeze for five minutes, then quickly disperse to the bewilderment of Saturday shoppers.

Organiser Mathew White, 35, from Backwell, said the event had been organised after the success of February's takeover of Cabot Circus, but he is aiming for bigger things next time, with a record-breaking attempt.

Mr White, a web graphic designer, said: "We had just the right number of people attend so it worked really well. The location made it a bit tricky for some people but I was really pleased with the turnout.

"I got the idea after the flashmob in Cabot Circus. I was wandering around Ikea with all the fixtures and fittings and thought it was just pure gold.

"Because we were collecting for BRACE, an Alzheimer's charity, we had to get Ikea in on it and they thought it was a great idea and were really helpful. We got them to do announcements over the tannoy and so that was the signal for people to freeze three times."

Mr White said the reaction from the public is one of the main reasons he organises the events.

"I like to create some mystery and put a smile on people's faces with some free fun. The reaction from most shoppers was total bewilderment. Some girls were having a pillow fight and one little girl asked to join in; another asked if we were real people. It's nice to think they will remember the day they went shopping and everyone around them froze. It's a change from all the bad news around."

The group won't know until tomorrow the full amount raised through collecting tins in the store, but it raised £80 for a cancer charity earlier in the year. Mr White said the charity was chosen in tribute to a friend's grandmother who had suffered from Alzheimer's and had recently died.

And while riding the wave of success, Mr White said he is opening up his Facebook group – Bristol's biggest flashmob – in order to get even more members together for a record-breaking attempt in the summer.

"A friend came up with an extremely good idea for July or August. I won't give any more away than that but I'd really like to break the record for the most people in a flashmob, so I'll be asking everyone to help nearer the time," he added.