IKEA partners Rhenus to set up warehouse at Gurugram for online order deliveries in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: Swedish furniture retailer IKEA on Tuesday said it has partnered with Rhenus, a global logistics player, to support its e-commerce expansion and deliveries to customers in Delhi-NCR.

The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rhenus to "elevate the home delivery experience" for customers in the Delhi-NCR region, IKEA said in a statement.

This step aims to support the growth of IKEA's e-commerce expansion and ensure faster and sustainable deliveries to customers in the region, it added.

Under this collaboration, Rhenus will establish a warehouse facility capable of storing and fulfilling over 7,000 products. The warehouse is expected to go live early next year, the company said.

This initiative will ensure seamless doorstep delivery to the customers in the Delhi-NCR region, marking a significant milestone in IKEA's expansion in India, the company said, adding the move would enable it to fulfill the majority of the orders within 24 hours.

"Our collaboration with Rhenus transcends decades. Bringing their expertise and experience in growing IKEA in other global markets to our operations here is an exciting opportunity for both in our India journey," IKEA Country Customer Fulfilment Manager Saiba Suri said.

Suri further said, "We don't just plan to scale but create a customer experience that is good for the planet and for the people. IKEA is excited to announce its first foot down in Delhi NCR alongside Rhenus." Located at Gurugram, the facility is spread over 150,000 square feet and is well-connected inbound movements via rail, road, and air. It will "fulfill hundreds of orders daily and will also be generating hundreds of job opportunities, creating a diverse and inclusive workspace, and building industry-best sustainable practices", the company said.

"As we expand our partnership from a European base to a global scale, our journey with IKEA is a testament to our shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability. This new warehousing project in India is not just an expansion of our operations, but a bold step towards a more inclusive and diverse global presence," Rhenus India Regional CEO, Vivek Arya said.

IKEA opened its first India retail store at Hyderabad in August 2018. It currently has three big format stores operational in Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai, and Bengaluru and two city stores in Mumbai. It plans to enter Delhi-NCR with two large shopping centres with integrated IKEA stores at Gurugram and Noida. The Gurugram project is expected to open by next year.