Ikea China has rolled out self-driving electric vehicles in Anhui Province after a pilot saw average customer waiting times reduced by two-thirds.

During the testing phase the vehicles transported customer orders from an external warehouse to the Ikea Hefei store for self-pick up and to restock products in the store.

Ikea said that the self-driving vehicles covered almost 75,600 km during the pilot scheme, adding that they improved both the customer experience and created a more efficient workplace for co-workers.

The electric vehicle measures just over 3.5 metres long and 1.3 metres wide. Ikea said it can handle all driving tasks without human intervention within specific conditions or areas, such as certain cities with approved road access rights.

A human operator closely monitors the vehicle from a central location and if the vehicle encounters an issue on the road during its journey, the operator can take control and manually guide it around any obstacles.

Ikea said average waiting times for self-pick-up orders reduced from six hours to just two, dramatically improving the overall customer experience and satisfaction.

For the business, transportation costs between Ikea units were reduced by more than 50 per cent, which the company said offers a a potential cost-efficient model for smaller stores or future formats.

With data and learnings from the test, Ikea said it is evaluating which markets would benefit from this initiative where legislation and infrastructure are favourable.

“At Ikea we want to make life at home better through simple, affordable and convenient solutions to the many. Improving customer experience is a clear priority for us,” said David McCabe, fulfilment & core services manager at Ikea Retail. “This latest solution has taught us how new technology can shorten waiting times, support our co-workers and reduce costs, while keeping prices as low as possible.”

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