What: One hundred autonomous drones are now at work during non-operational hours to improve stock accuracy and secure availability of products for online or physical retail.

Why it is important: Ingka Group is the first retailer to successfully use this solution for stock inventory.

Inter Ikea Group, Ingka Group, and Verity started developing a fully autonomous drone solution to track inventory and improve the wellbeing of its employees on the floor two years ago. With this solution, employees no longer need to manually confirm each pallet.

The retailer is investing in technology to better support customer fulfilment and become a true center for omnichannel retailing. Introducing drones and other advanced tools is beneficial for customers, employees, and the business as it improves employees’ wellbeing, lowers operational costs, and allows the retailer to be more affordable and convenient.

The one hundred drones that are stocking inventory are current located in 16 locations throughout Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

One hundred drones now used across Ikea retail for stock inventory