Wincanton has signed a five-year contract with IKEA Ireland to manage the online retail giant's first customer distribution centre (CDC) in the Republic of Ireland.
IKEA products are currently delivered to consumers in Ireland via distribution centres in the UK. The new CDC, located in Greenogue Logistics Park in south-west Dublin, the 280,000 sq ft warehouse will enable quicker customer fulfilment and better availability of IKEA products in the country, with delivery lead times reduced by more than half.
The first deliveries are expected to leave the warehouse in early 2024. When fully up and running, the CDC is expected to create 120 jobs across warehousing, logistics, and administration.
The contract builds on Wincanton’s growing relationship with IKEA, which has seen the group also chosen as its long-term partner to operate a new multi-million-pound distribution centre in Dartford, Kent.
With IKEA secured as a major customer, Wincanton said this week it will also offer a shared user service from the Dublin facility to support its growth strategy in Ireland.
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Carl Moore, Wincanton managing director of e-fulfilment, said: “Our key role in the transformation and expansion of IKEA continues to grow and evolve.
“We look forward to bringing our unrivalled expertise and proven operational excellence in e-fulfilment to the Republic of Ireland so IKEA can meet its customers’ needs quicker than ever before.”
Jakob Bertilsson, IKEA UK and Ireland country customer fulfilment m, added: "Establishing a distribution centre in Ireland is a significant step in further expansion in Ireland.
"This move supports our omnichannel strategy to cater to customers' shopping preferences while driving towards our ambitious goal of achieving 100% zero emission last mile delivery by 2025.
"We are excited to strengthen our partnership with Wincanton and look forward to bring IKEA closer to even more people in Ireland."
