Ikea dreaming of the Seine
Goods can be delivered to the centre of large conurbations emissions-free by combining inland barge and electric vehicle services. Ikea and Haropa Ports have teamed up for Paris.
A bid submitted by Ikea France won an invitation to tender offered by Haropa Ports. The French port alliance of the Le Havre, Paris and Rouen gateways offered land for logistics projects in the port of Limay-Porcheville, in the west of the greater Paris region. The Swedish furniture-maker won the race for the highly-sought-after space and will now open a distribution centre on the outskirts of the French capital.
At the heart of the Île-de-France
The 16 ha plot of land in the port of Limay-Porcheville is now ready for the construction of a warehouse. The terrain covers approximately 160,000 m²; Ikea is set to establish a customer sales centre covering approximately 72,000 m² there. The site is located in the western region of greater Paris and offers its new tenant the opportunity of shipping its goods directly to the Paris city centre, and also to deliver products to customers who clicked on the ‘home delivery’ button when placing online or direct orders. The facility is also in easy reach of western France. The project conforms to today’s ecological requirements with its construction materials, a 28,000 m² solar power plant and a 30,000 m² green zone, where around 100 trees will be planted. The centre is expected to be operational in 2026.
The Limay site’s has strategic links to the river Seine. The option of delivering goods by inland barge offers Ikea access to central Paris without having to deal with urban congestion, thus promising faster deliveries and, in combination with electric vehicles, emissions-free solutions for urban customers. Ikea has been testing transport solutions in Paris with Haropa Ports since September 2020, operating from the latter’s Gennevilliers warehouse.
