Rent, ride and roll, IKEA testing “Do-It-Yourself-Delivery” solutions for urban customers

IKEA is always exploring ways to enhance delivery services that cater for varying budgets. The latest offerings are built on a simple principle: IKEA does one part, customers do another, and together that leads to affordable and convenient solutions.

“Not everyone has access to a car in urban locations, and public transport isn’t always ideal for large items,” says Alastair Morgan, Global Core Services Manager, Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer. “IKEA aims to serve the many, but traditional home delivery isn’t always suitable. We’re exploring DIY delivery solutions to offer more accessible, affordable, and convenient take-home options. This initiative reduces dependency on delivery services, increases customer satisfaction, and aligns with our vision for a more sustainable, customer-centric retail experience.”

As part of this new service, IKEA is testing several rentable solutions at IKEA Utrecht in the Netherlands, IKEA Westbahnhof Vienna in Austria, and IKEA Gallerian Stockholm in Sweden. The tests include a trolley for short distances by foot or bus; an electric four-wheel bike with a storage box; an electric cargo bike, and an electric trailer for walking or attaching to a bike. These options help customers bring their BILLY bookcases and MALM dressers home without a car. The solutions will be available for rent, at an affordable price, during a test period starting April 1, 2025.

For customers living further from an IKEA store who prefer a more affordable option than traditional straight-to-home delivery, IKEA is expanding the current pick-up locker service.

Led by the Development and Innovation Network—a collaboration between Inter IKEA Group and all franchisees (including Ingka)—IKEA has collaborated with an external company to create modular lockers that can be placed in external locations. These lockers are now installed in four UK grocery store parking lots (with six more to come), as well as two in Belgium and one in the Netherlands.

This allows customers to pick up their orders 24/7 at convenient locations closer to their homes or work. The test started in November 2024 and, so far, the results have been impressive with high customer satisfaction scores. Especially appreciated is the possibility to combine grocery shopping with picking up your latest IKEA purchase all in one trip.

IKEA customers aren’t the only ones impressed with this offer! Recently, the innovative locker solution won the Omnichannel Retailer Initiative of the Year award at the 2024 Retail Tech Innovation Hub Awards. This recognition, along with the great teamwork involved, shows how IKEA is moving forward with innovative service solutions to support customers and be accessible to the many.

“We are always looking for ways to make shopping more convenient and accessible. By testing pick-up lockers in new locations, we’re bringing IKEA closer to where people live, making it easier to collect purchases at a time and place that suits them. This is one of many ways we’re exploring and co-creating smarter, more flexible delivery solutions with our trusted collaborators for our customers,” says Peter Ac, Head of Supply Chain Innovations, Inter IKEA Group.

What’s Next?
Stay tuned for more exciting developments as we continue to test and roll out new solutions to make your IKEA shopping experience even better!

About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations on 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on  www.ingka.com.