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IKEA responds to e-commerce challenges

In Europe, IKEA is exploring packaging and logistics changes to meet omnichannel needs.

IKEA
IKEA

Per Stoltz, Resource and Waste Manager with IKEA, and his colleague, Angela Hultberg, Global Head of Sustainable Mobility for IKEA, will both be presenting at E-Pack Europe 2019 March 25-27 in Berlin. Hosted by Smithers-Pira, the conference features Mattel, Mondelez International and Mars Wrigley. Stolz and Hultberg sat down and answered some questions for Packaging World Magazine VP of Content, Jim Chrzan.

Q: What can IKEA ship via normal UPS and Fed-Ex type delivery? A lot of home goods, I imagine.

A: We divide our deliveries into parcel deliveries(i.e. smaller goods) and home deliveries (i.e bigger goods, performed with two-man delivery). For UPS and FedEx and the likes, parcel is of course very suitable. For home deliveries we work with a variety of service providers, some bigger, some very local.

Q: When you get to larger sized and heavier items, do you only offer store pick up, or do you contract with other deliver services like furniture and appliances, or is this an IKEA fleet we are talking about?

A: We do not have an IKEA fleet today. We partner with service providers who perform these deliveries for us. You always have the option of collecting them yourself at the store, of course, or have them delivered to your home. We are also increasing out number of pick-up points and other types of deliveries, big and small, to make it more convenient for our customers.

Q: When you talk about returned goods not being able to return to inventory you are talking damaged, yes?

A: Mostly damages but also items returned due to change of mind or similar, for which the return logistics would not make economic sense.

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