IKEA Ireland has opened a new state-of-the-art distribution centre located in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion within Ireland. This facility, which employs over 200 people, is part of IKEA’s continued investment in the region that includes upgrades to the Ballymun store and a collaboration with Tesco Ireland to offer an affordable collection service.
The Rathcoole distribution centre is poised to enhance IKEA’s delivery capabilities significantly across Ireland, offering some of the shortest delivery times in Europe. This strategic development is a shift from the previous arrangement where deliveries to Irish customers were dispatched from the UK. With this new facility, delivery times are expected to reduce to just three days.
The facility itself spans over 27,000 square meters with a storage capacity of 20,000 cubic meters—equivalent to over 258,000 flatpack BILLY bookcases or double the size of the Croke Park pitch. It is capable of housing up to 9,000 different product lines, covering almost every product in the IKEA range. Over its first year, the distribution centre is expected to handle more than 300,000 deliveries, with projections to nearly double to about 600,000 within five years.
Jakob Bertilsson, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager for IKEA Ireland and UK, emphasized the customer benefits: “The opening of Ireland’s first IKEA distribution centre will greatly benefit our customers through faster and more reliable deliveries. It marks a key step in our ambitious expansion plans across Ireland. We remain committed to – and are continually investing in – the future of our physical store in Dublin, but we want people to enjoy the IKEA experience no matter where they choose to engage with us.”
Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins TD, commented on the economic and environmental impact: “IKEA’s new distribution centre in Rathcoole will provide a boost for the local economy, creating 120 new jobs. It is also positive news for its customers, significantly reducing IKEA’s delivery times and enhancing accessibility for its Irish customers. This state-of-the-art facility is also a testament of IKEA’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. This building is one of the most energy-efficient logistic facilities in Ireland and will support IKEA’s transition to 100% zero emission deliveries by August 2025.”
Marsha Smith, Deputy CEO of IKEA Ireland and UK, added her perspective on the strategic importance of the new facility: “The opening of this new distribution centre not only demonstrates IKEA’s desire to become more accessible to our customers in Ireland, but also our commitment to sustainability and innovation. By transitioning to zero emission deliveries and having an energy-efficient distribution centre, we are playing our part in protecting the planet, and taking another significant step in our journey to becoming a climate positive business.”
