Ikea has recently released news that customers around the world may face delays when ordering from the Swedish super-store. The company has cited the recent diversion of trade routes in the Red Sea, particularly the use of the Suez Canal, as the cause.
As the global e-commerce market expands, so too has congestion in international shipping lanes. With the closure of nearly one fifth of the world’s transport supply chains, Ikea is feeling the effects in its delivery times to customers all over the world.
The Red Sea is the biggest and one of the busiest sea-lanes throughout the world. Big ships have been drawn from hundreds of shipping routes as the Evergreen container ship has been stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking the Suez Canal and creating a built up of shipping traffic.
This is having a direct knock-on effect at Ikea too. The company operates a global supply chain where key items and finished goods must go through the Red Sea before arriving at their global distribution centers and in many cases at customers’ doors.
Ikea acknowledge the “significant delays” their customers may experience due to this blockage and are already making steps to make sure these disruptions are minimised. They are actively working with their suppliers, logistic partners and customers to make sure orders are delivered as quickly and safely as possible.
This isn’t the first time Ikea have suffered from the effects of such delays. The company has been subject to congestion and route diversions before, leading to serious stock issues for many customers. So, it’s clear that the company works hard to ensure its deliveries are getting through.
However, Ikea have acknowledged that these delays could be serious. At present, they are unable to predict how long customers may be without their order, so customers should keep an eye on their orders and contact customer service if there are any delays.
In the meantime, Ikea have urged their customers to continue to shop with them, as they are determined to get orders through as quickly and safely as possible. Until the bottleneck is cleared, customers will have to wait for their orders to arrive, but hopefully not for too long.
Ikea has recently released news that customers around the world may face delays when ordering from the Swedish super-store. The company has cited the recent diversion of trade routes in the Red Sea, particularly the use of the Suez Canal, as the cause.
As the global e-commerce market expands, so too has congestion in international shipping lanes. With the closure of nearly one fifth of the world’s transport supply chains, Ikea is feeling the effects in its delivery times to customers all over the world.
The Red Sea is the biggest and one of the busiest sea-lanes throughout the world. Big ships have been drawn from hundreds of shipping routes as the Evergreen container ship has been stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking the Suez Canal and creating a built up of shipping traffic.
This is having a direct knock-on effect at Ikea too. The company operates a global supply chain where key items and finished goods must go through the Red Sea before arriving at their global distribution centers and in many cases at customers’ doors.
Ikea acknowledge the “significant delays” their customers may experience due to this blockage and are already making steps to make sure these disruptions are minimised. They are actively working with their suppliers, logistic partners and customers to make sure orders are delivered as quickly and safely as possible.
This isn’t the first time Ikea have suffered from the effects of such delays. The company has been subject to congestion and route diversions before, leading to serious stock issues for many customers. So, it’s clear that the company works hard to ensure its deliveries are getting through.
However, Ikea have acknowledged that these delays could be serious. At present, they are unable to predict how long customers may be without their order, so customers should keep an eye on their orders and contact customer service if there are any delays.
In the meantime, Ikea have urged their customers to continue to shop with them, as they are determined to get orders through as quickly and safely as possible. Until the bottleneck is cleared, customers will have to wait for their orders to arrive, but hopefully not for too long.