Wincanton has signed a five-year contract with IKEA Ireland to manage the retailer’s first Customer Distribution Centre (CDC) in the Republic of Ireland.
Located in Greenogue Logistics Park in south-west Dublin, the 280,000 sqft warehouse will enable quicker customer fulfilment and better availability of IKEA products in the country, with delivery lead times reduced by more than half.
IKEA products have previously been delivered to consumers in Ireland via distribution centres in the UK. Locating the CDC in Ireland means IKEA is closer to the end-consumer, supporting its sustainability strategy through a reduction in CO2 emissions.
The first deliveries are expected to leave the warehouse in early 2024. When fully up and running, the CDC will create 120 jobs across warehousing, logistics, and administration.
The contract builds on Wincanton’s growing relationship with IKEA, which has seen the Wincanton Group chosen as the retailer's long-term partner to operate a new multi-million-pound distribution centre in Dartford, Kent, alongside investments in electric vehicle technology for its home delivery services.
With IKEA secured as a major customer, Wincanton will also offer a shared user service from the Dublin facility to support its growth strategy in Ireland.
Carl Moore, MD of efulfilment at Wincanton, says: “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 efulfilment to the Republic of Ireland so IKEA can meet its customers’ needs quicker than ever before.”
Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at IKEA UK and Ireland, comments: "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 bringing IKEA closer to even more people in Ireland."
