A world’s first in the last mile delivery
Did you know that customer transport to and from IKEA stores adds up to c.14% of IKEA’s total CO2 footprint? Not surprisingly, the Ikea group encourages its businesses to test and introduce highly innovative transport solutions for its customers as part of its ambitious sustainability strategy “People & Planet Positive”. Last month, the IKEA store in Hamburg Altona saw a world’s premiere…
Being used to drive my own car through heavy traffic for at least 30 minutes to find the nearest IKEA store in a heavy industrialized area, I was quite puzzled when I realized that the IKEA store in Hamburg Altona is located in a pedestrian zone. Furthermore, I saw a lot of customers carrying their purchases by hand to the next subway station. Ok, that’s fine for small stuff, but what do you do when you bought a sofa?
Well, in May customers of the IKEA Altona store in Hamburg could rent a smart electrically powered NÜWIEL bike trailer to move the heavy furniture without using a car! The first 3 hours were for free and they only needed to leave an ID card or driver licence to experience an entire new means of transport.
Pulled by hand or behind an ordinary bike the intelligent motion control of the trailer lets you forget that you carry up to 150kg behind you. Controlled by the smart sensor, the electric motor of the automatically accelerates or brakes, exactly when it is required. Easy!
The test at IKEA Hamburg Altona is an important step for NÜWIEL. It helped NÜWIEL to contribute to IKEA’s long-term vision “to create a better everyday life for many”. And on top, it is also part of IKEA’s strategy to address three major challenges that are highly relevant for their businesses: climate change, unsustainable consumption and inequality.
More background required? See IKEAs sustainability strategy.
From a Nüwiel perspective, the IKEA use case is just one of many, the smart trailer can help to transform the entire last mile delivery logistics. Away from congested and unhealthy down-town areas towards clean and quiet urban mobility!