Ikea Started Testing Food Delivery, But There's a Catch

On those weekends when all you’re craving is a serving of Ikea’s famous meatballs or their increasingly popular vegan hot dogs topped with cabbage and spicy mustard, imagine not having to take that arduous trip to Ikea. Sounds great, right? Well, the Swedish retailer is taking steps to make that a reality for its diehard customers, as Ikea just started testing food delivery.

According to Spanish publication El Confidencial, Ikea is currently testing its food delivery service in Paris. As part of the trial run, Parisians can choose from Ikea’s menu of Swedish foods, including salads, salmon, beets and cabbage. And if the pilot program is successful, Ikea will expand its delivery to other parts of Europe — and hopefully expand its menu to include its meatballs. Why they aren’t initially offered is beyond us.

What’s not clear, however, is whether Ikea is delivering hot meals or frozen items. Fast Company reached out to Ikea for more information, and a representative told them that they “do not have any further details to share at this point, as [they] are very early in the process.”

Ikea’s decision to test food delivery is a smart one, too: A study by Adroit Market Research reveals that online food delivery market is expected to hit nearly $162 billion by 2023, globally. In the United States, specifically, it’s expected to generate a revenue of just over $115 billion.

As we eagerly await the arrival of Ikea’s food delivery to the states, we’ll be shopping Ikea’s two major summer sales. The Ikea Summer Sale includes discounts on home furnishing and home essentials, like duvets, mattresses, bookcases, coffee tables, lamps, rugs and cushions. Their other sale is called the Ikea Kitchen Event, where customers can design their dream kitchen at an affordable price.