IKEA to build new distribution centre for online purchases in Catalonia

Barcelona (CNA).- IKEA plans to enhance its presence in Catalonia. The Swedish multinational will set up its distribution centre for online purchases in Valls, 15 kilometres north of Tarragona, next to its main distribution platform – DC 1, set up in the area in 2003. Thus, IKEA will not only spearhead its expansion into the Iberian Peninsula but ship to the South of France as well. The 50,000 m² smallholding, which belongs to Incasòl, the Catalan Government's subsidiary that manages public land throughout Catalonia, is worth 2.8 MEUR and is expected to employ more than 100 workers. Both facilities are located at a strategic enclave, nearly at the intersection of the main highways AP7 and AP2 and equally close to Tarragona’s port.

Since the opening of IKEA’s first and main logistics centre in Valls's Palau del Reig industrial park in 2003, with an investment of 46 MEUR, the group’s expansion plan made it necessary to add a new warehouse space of 65,000 square metres a few years afterwards. This currently employs 150 people and represents an investment of 60 MEUR.

With a total capacity to handle 2.8 million cubic metres of goods per year, IKEA’s two logistic centres in Catalonia spearheaded the company’s expansion into the Iberian Peninsula, since the multinational plans to open 30 new stores in Spain and Portugal by 2020. However, IKEA already had some additional land in reserve on the same site and even an option to buy further adjacent land to extend its operation. Now, Incasòl, the Catalan Government's subsidiary that manages public land throughout Catalonia, has confirmed IKEA’s plan to build a third facility in Valls. This new distribution centre will deliver online purchases and aims to supply Spain, Portugal and the South of France.

Reduction of delivery costs for customers

According to IKEA Ibérica director, Tolga Öncü, the new distribution centre, fully mechanised, could deliver 7,000 of the 9,500 IKEA products to the logistic centres which are located throughout Spain, Portugal and the South of France. From there, the products will be delivered to the customer’s door. Thus, both the cost and the delivery time will be substantially reduced, reducing delivery costs to approximately 10 euros per order. Before now, IKEA had to deliver their online items directly from the stores.  

The new centre is expected to be fully operative by autumn 2017 and may employ more than 100 people.