Bicycle trailers on loan at IKEA

Shoppers at IKEA furniture stores in Denmark now have a new option for bringing their large, bulky purchases home: a fleet of Velorbis bikes with trailers that are available for loan at (virtually) no charge. IKEA launched the program last month after market research found that 20 percent of its Danish customers ride their bikes to the store. It then partnered with Danish Freetrailer, an organization that loans out free trailers for both bikes and cars, to establish the service, which has already begun at IKEA’s Gentofte store. To borrow a bike and trailer, customers must put down a deposit of about USD 100 and then either pay USD 7 for insurance or be liable in case the bike is damaged or stolen, according to a report in Treehugger. The trailers may be kept overnight and returned the next day. Since the program’s launch at the Gentofte store, IKEA representatives from Sweden, Germany and China have flown in to see it in action, according to Copenhagenize. Recognizing—and celebrating—the preferences of eco-minded consumers makes good sense for IKEA, which is bound to share in the eco-iconic glory. Next, it needs to start selling those bikes and trailers! One to emulate in bicycle-friendly cities around the world. (Related: Cargo bikes for greener business deliveries.) Spotted by: Copenhagenize via RK