[photopress:ikea.jpg,full,alignright]Ikea is not a name you would normally associate with logistics. Difficulty screwing the stuff together, yes. Logistics, no.
Yet, Ikea, which is the world’s largest furniture retailer has the same logistics problems as other makers only, perhaps, they are handled more intelligently. Everything is flat-packed so minimum space is taken.
Now it has started construction of a mammoth distribution center in Shanghai that will be its biggest in the Asia-Pacific region.
The US$150 million facility, with a warehousing capacity of 300,000 cubic meters, will be Ikea’s largest in the Asia-Pacific region. It will be in Shanghai’s suburban Fengxian District, close to the deep-sea Yangshan port. The distribution center will also be the biggest foreign-owned warehousing facility in China. This is the second distribution facility for the Swedish furniture retailer in Shanghai; it set up a center in Songjiang District in 2005.
David Hood, director of Ikea Asia-Pacific distribution services division, said Ikea plans to make Shanghai its warehousing and distribution center for the Asia-Pacific region.
He said, ‘The facility will not only bring advanced professional logistics expertise to China, it also signifies the importance of Shanghai being one of Asia’s major economic and shipping centers.’
And it will help service the growing number of Ikea stores in China. It plans to have 10 stores in China by 2010.
Source: China Daily
You must log in to post a comment.