Ingka Investments has invested nearly £12 million in location technology from What3words to address the ongoing rise of urban deliveries in cities.
Ingka is the owner and operator of 389 Ikea stores and e-commerce activities in 32 countries.
What3words has created a solution for inaccurate addressing - which Ingka describes as an issue in developing and developed countries - by dividing the world into a grid of 3m squares and giving each square a combination of three words: a what3words address.
For example, ///filled.count.soap will take you to the exact front door to what3words’ London office.
Ingka says highly accurate location information will improve the success of first-time deliveries, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and vehicles on the road.
Krister Mattsson, managing director of Ingka, says: “We see value in helping to support the build-up of a universal addressing system that can lead to better customer experience, while the precise locations will allow for a reduction in overall miles travelled, reducing the carbon footprint of home deliveries.”
According to Ingka, the system allows people to specify a precise location such as a side door or utility entrance, which is valuable for deliveries.
It is also expected to provide the accuracy needed for new delivery modes such as drones and autonomous vehicles.
