IKEA to open Vancouver D.C.

BURLINGTON, Ontario – In another move designed to support its aggressive growth strategy, IKEA Canada plans to open a 340,000 square foot customer distribution centre in a suburb of Vancouver sometime in April 2018. The facility will support about 100 new jobs and will fulfill orders for the company’s four existing stores in British Columbia and Alberta as well as its e-commerce operations.

The facility will be located at 7031 York Road in Richmond, British Columbia. The stores are located in Richmond and Coquitlam, British Columbia as well as Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.

“As IKEA continues to grow, we recognise the importance of making the shopping experience more convenient and enjoyable for Canadians,” IKEA Canada president Marsha Smith said in a statement. “Building a stronger distribution network is one of the many ways we are ensuring we meet our customer’s expectations in western Canada.”

According to senior management, the new distribution centre will further enable the company to have the products in the right location, closer to its customers. This will result in shorter delivery times, enabling a more positive shopping experience. More efficient distribution will also enable IKEA to contribute towards its sustainability goals outlined in its People & Planet Positive strategy.

Jobs will be available in a variety of functions, including logistics, human resources as well as operations and safety and security. Recruitment will begin this fall and will be held in stages to support the development of the building. Job vacancies will be available at www.IKEA.ca.

In 2015, IKEA Canada unveiled its strategy to double in size by 2025 – in both annual sales and store count. A new full-size store will open this fall in Halifax, followed by a store in Quebec City in summer 2018. The Vancouver distribution centre will be the third such facility IKEA operates in Canada. The others are in the Montreal and Toronto areas.

Currently, IKEA Canada operates 12 full-size stores, an e-commerce virtual store, six pick-up and order points and 10 collection points. Last year, IKEA Canada – a wholly owned subsidiary of the global home furnishings giant – welcomed 28 million visitors to its stores and 88 million visitors to its web site.