Ingka Group acquires Locus, an AI-powered logistics software company to transform the IKEA home delivery experience
Ingka Group (IKEA)
Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group (the largest IKEA retailer), acquired Locus, a USA-based logistics technology company offering an AI-powered logistics management platform with advanced route optimisation, real-time tracking, and smart use of vehicles and resources. The acquisition brings this technology in-house to enhance efficiency across IKEA's supply chain, from capacity management to last-mile execution, at a time when online sales reached 28% of total IKEA retail sales in FY24, up from 11% in FY19. Locus, described as an agentic Transportation Management System battle-tested in 350+ deployments across 30+ countries, will remain operationally independent and continue serving its own enterprise customers beyond Ingka Group.
Overview
Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group (the largest IKEA retailer), acquired Locus, a USA-based logistics technology company offering an AI-powered logistics management platform with advanced route optimisation, real-time tracking, and smart use of vehicles and resources. The acquisition brings this technology in-house to enhance efficiency across IKEA's supply chain, from capacity management to last-mile execution, at a time when online sales reached 28% of total IKEA retail sales in FY24, up from 11% in FY19. Locus, described as an agentic Transportation Management System battle-tested in 350+ deployments across 30+ countries, will remain operationally independent and continue serving its own enterprise customers beyond Ingka Group.
The challenge
Historically, IKEA has relied on multiple third-party providers for the digital systems that make seamless home delivery possible, leaving Ingka Group with less control over a critical moment in the customer journey, at a time when online sales reached 28% of total IKEA retail sales in FY24, up from 11% in FY19.
The solution
Ingka Investments acquired Locus, a USA-based logistics technology company offering an AI-powered logistics management platform with advanced route optimisation, real-time tracking, and smart use of vehicles and resources, described as an agentic Transportation Management System battle-tested in 350+ deployments across 30+ countries. The acquisition brings this technology in-house to enhance efficiency across IKEA's supply chain, from capacity management to last-mile execution.
Reported business value
The acquisition is intended to strengthen IKEA's digital capabilities and support its ambition to create a faster and smarter distribution network, complementing earlier technology investments such as Made4net for warehouse management and TaskRabbit for furniture assembly services.
Sources
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