Delivery prices and times for Ikea products are to drop as the company opens its first distribution centre in Ireland.
The 27,000 square metre facility is coming online at Greenogue Logistics Park in Rathcoole in west Dublin from today.
It has a storage capacity of 20,000 cubic metres - equal to over 258,000 flatpack bookcases or double the size of the Croke Park pitch.
Capable of housing up to 9,000 different products, Ikea says the multi-million-euro facility marks "a significant shift" for its Irish business.
Inside IKEA's new Irish warehouse in Rathcoole. Image: IKEAPreviously deliveries to Irish consumers came from the UK resulting in longer delivery times.
The company says deliveries will now be reduced to just three days - making it the shortest in Europe.
Ikea Ireland & UK Deputy CEO Marsha Smith told Breakfast Business the warehouse will hold all its stock.
"This is so we have products here in Ireland, all the stock is held here," she said.
"When a customer places an order it's a very, very short lead time now - a couple of days - and you can have those products straight to your home.
"Delivery will be made by an EV vehicle; we have an investment of 17 vehicles, that means about 65% of our deliveries will now be done by an EV (Electric Vehicles)".
An electric van at IKEA's new Irish warehouse in Rathcoole. Image: IKEAMs Smith said the new warehouse will see delivery charges coming down.
"Ultimately we're trying to get the delivery price to as low as possible," she said.
"Having this warehouse, having EV vehicles make the delivery is one of the ways that we're trying to do that.
"Ultimately we'll be lowering those prices."
Delivery times
Ms Smith said delivery times should also be cut for customers across Ireland.
"Typically today, up until the opening of this new warehouse, we have had maybe four or fives days delivery - and that's too long," she said.
"Sometimes you want something a lot quicker, you can't always go to the store or one of our pick-up points.
"Now delivery will be within a couple of days," she added.
The new distribution centre will also create 120 new jobs and be powered by features like rainwater harvesting and roof-based solar panels.
IKEA has previously announced plans to open a number of Plan and Order Points as part of an expansion.
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