Solution area: River-based urban delivery logistics Across Europe, there is a push to find innovative solutions to growing congestion and emissions from urban freight. Shifting freight from roads to rivers by tapping into underused waterways is considered a promising option. The EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy aims to increase inland waterways and short-sea shipping by 25% by 2030 and 50% by 2050.25 Some cities are already pioneering this approach. London runs a daily parcels boat into the city centre,26 while Dutch cities are expanding water transport – from e-pushers for urban logistics to canal freight pilots in Amsterdam.27 Emerging programmes find strong potential when waterways are paired with bike or EV last mile, provided quayside access, scheduling and handling are designed well.28 This promising practice examines IKEA France’s Seine delivery programme, which is its first multimodal solution for home deliveries.29 Using barges to transport goods into Paris, coupled with electric vans for the last mile, this case offers lessons for retailers, policy-makers and logistics providers on how to potentially shift deliveries onto the underutilized urban waterways of Europe. Promising practice: IKEA’s Seine River Delivery Programme Snapshot With 27% of IKEA France’s sales conducted online, the Seine River Delivery Programme offers a scalable solution for managing growing e-commerce and home-delivery demand. Operating daily between the Gennevilliers warehouse (15 km from Paris) and the Port of Bercy, it uses electric vehicles in central Paris, and handles about 300 orders per day with swap containers across 360 days a year.30 The programme has grown steadily since its launch in December 2022, supported by strategic partnerships and new infrastructure. It is scheduled to expand to suburban areas in 2027 with a new port at Limay-Porcheville, where IKEA France also plans to introduce decarbonised boats.31 This initiative is part of Ingka Group’s wider zero-emission transition. In 2024, 41.1% of its retail deliveries worldwide (more than 6.3 million) were made with zero-emission vehicles, up from 24.6% the year before. The company has already reached 100% emissions-free delivery in 20 cities globally.32 In Paris, 85% of IKEA’s truck deliveries are now electric, with the river delivery programme helping to make this possible.33 Environment: –Cut emissions from freight and phase out diesel vans in central Paris34 –Reduce noise, truck traffic and air pollution during busy hours –Support Ingka Group’s goal of 90% zero-emission home deliveries by 2028 and align with EU climate targets35Operations: –Deliver goods within 48 hours, even under heavy congestion –Increase load efficiency by replacing small trucks with high-capacity barges –Improve driver well-being by reducing time spent in trafficRegulation: –Align with Paris’s low-emission zone plans and the EU’s 2035 ban on combustion engines for road transportationObjectives IKEA’s river delivery programme supports three broader objectives:

Urban Deliveries Case Studies Combined 2025