SWEDEN, despite being a relatively small country known for its undeveloped wilderness and archipelagoes, has been making big strides in protecting the environment for many decades now. In fact, it was the first country in the world to pass an environmental protection act in 1967.
Since then, Sweden has moved forward with more ambitious goals for sustainability by going fossil-free by 2045, using 100% renewable energy. This practice of giving importance to the environment has resonated well with various Swedish brands, including IKEA, a company known for designing and selling ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home decor, among others.
IKEA, which opened its first physical location in the Philippines (its largest store in the world) at the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City back in 2021, is expanding its online store presence (through IKEA.ph) in Davao and Cagayan de Oro cities in Mindanao and other key areas in Visayas, with the launch of their new earth-friendly services including truck delivery, Click & Collect, and assembly services.
“Starting January 15, we are thrilled to bring our full suite of delivery and assembly services to as far as Davao and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao,” said IKEA Philippines Country Fulfilment Operations Manager Jarek Lesniewski during a press briefing with Visayas and Mindanao media last January 9.
The company initially launched parcel (small to medium-sized packages) delivery nationwide in September 2023. Come January 15, the parcel delivery fee will start at PhP350 for Visayas and Mindanao for orders of up to a maximum weight of 40kg and a maximum length of 1.7 meters.
“By introducing these services, we are bringing the full IKEA online shopping experience to more people outside of Luzon, while still giving importance to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact,” he said.
The truck delivery fee will start at PhP1,890 for Davao City and PhP1,990 for Digos and Panabo City cities. Meanwhile, for Cagayan De Oro City, El Salvador, Alubijid and Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental, the fee is PhP1,690, PhP1,890 for Tagoloan, Villanueva and Jasaan, also in Misamis Oriental, and PhP1,990 for Iligan City.
With Click & Collect, customers can opt to pick up their online orders at their most convenient time. For Davao City, the collection area is located along Countryside Road (By-pass Road) in Ma-a, and for Cagayan de Oro in Bolobolo, El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental. Customers can also have their flat-packed furniture conveniently assembled on-site for a minimal fee of 9% of the original product’s retail price. Sofa, sofa-bed, armchair, and footstool can be assembled for 2.5% of the original product retail price.
What makes this expansion even more exciting is that IKEA will be utilizing 100% electric vehicles in partnership with Mober, ensuring zero emissions and a sustainable delivery process. This will be piloted in their collection and delivery sites outside the National Capital Region.
“We’re committed to driving sustainable solutions in the logistics industry. We are glad that IKEA’s sustainable ways of doing business have also inspired ours. This is our little way of contributing to achieving a greener economy,” said Mober CEO Daniel Ng.
Asked if IKEA has plans to open physical stores in other areas in the country, Lesniewski replied “that there will always be plans for future expansion especially that our company is exponentially growing in the Philippines but there’s no clear timeline yet”.
