IKEA launched its first ‘low-carbon’ delivery operation to customers in Paris on Wednesday, with the help from the Belgian inland waterways specialist Blue Line Logistics.

From now on, IKEA will use the Seine river and electric last-mile delivery vehicles to bring the furniture to the customers’ homes.

“We are the first major distributor to serve our customers in this way,” explained Emilie Carpels, director of the project of the Swedish-Dutch multinational conglomerate.

455 orders a day

Blue Line Logistics transported six containers of 18 cubic meters each from the IKEA distribution center in Gennevilliers (Haute-de-Seine) to reach the port of Bercy in inner Paris.

A journey that took approximately three and half hours. Each box contained about 13 orders. IKEA hopes to process 455 orders a day by boat by next month.

By the end of this year, the furniture manufacturer aims to serve all its customers in the French capital in this way. In 2026, IKEA plans to open a new distribution center on the Seine, at the Port of Limay, in Yvelines, to the west of Paris, at the cost of 120 million euros.

300 000 km saved

Online sales represent 20% of IKEA’s turnover in France, compared to 10% in 2019. According to the president of IKEA France, Johan Laurell, the objective is to deliver all these customers by electric vehicles by 2025.

The boat deliveries in Paris are also the first within the IKEA group worldwide. Some 300 000 km traveled would be saved annually. In addition, river freight emits up to five times less CO2 than road freight. It also offers more reliable deliveries in shorter time slots.

Seine potential underused

According to the newspaper Le Figaro, Paris City Council has facilitated the project by installing electric terminals on the banks of the Seine.

“Developing river transport is not an option but a necessity for the city of Paris,” says Pierre Rabadan, Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for the Seine. “We hope that this innovation will inspire many other economic players.”

The potential of the Seine is considerable: it is estimated that the river could accommodate up to four times more freight traffic than at present.