Following a huge increase in online sales in 2020, UK shoppers are predicted to further increase their spending as new research forecasts £120.48bn of online purchases in 2021. A report by the Centre of Retail Research (CRR), which also suggests that, despite a turbulent year, online sales in the UK saw an increase of 46.5% in 2020, with British consumers spending £110.6bn via ecommerce. Retailers and suppliers therefore need expanded warehouse space. A wide variety of storage options are on the market, from large sheds on industrial estates to empty shop units which need bespoke racking solutions.
This article was first published in the September 15th 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
Well done to LAC Conveyors & Automation, leading provider of conveyor systems and automation solutions, which recently announced the new partnership with Exotec to sell and promote the revolutionary Skypod storage system in the UK. The Skypod System consists of a light robot with a payload of 30kg which can move in 3D and access high-level bins. This allows the operator to remain stationary and work from one pick/load position while the robot carries out the requested tasks.
Congratulations to United Storage Systems which carried out a complete fit-out for a brand new self-storage facility in Barking, part of Shurgard’s ever-expanding portfolio. The building shell and floors were built by a construction management company and the client commissioned USS to carry out a complete self-storage fit-out for the facility which consists of 8 floors including the ground floor. The fit-out included: floor decking; fire protection consisting of a boarded ceiling, column and beam encasements, stair enclosures; storage unit partitions to form units with a mixture of swing and roller shutter doors for 1204 units.
Nelly, a leading online retailer of fashion and beauty products in the Nordic countries, relied on the expertise in industrial storage systems of AR Racking and its distributor and strategic partner Rudells, who have designed and installed a narrow aisle racking solution (VNA racking) adapted to the storage of boxes in a 1,360 sq m area of a new warehouse in Borås, Sweden. With the installation of these racks, a storage capacity of 36,960 positions was achieved.
SEC Storage has designed and installed a space optimised storage solution at RAJA UK’s new warehouse facility leading to increased pick efficiency and impressive storage capacity that still offers 50% growth potential. With the new facility offering 270,000ft of warehouse space, SEC conducted a detailed space utilisation analysis to ensure the optimised space solution provided 40,000 pallet bays, fivetimes more than they used previously. SEC Storage was able to design a storage solution which would house all their stock in just two thirds of the building allowing them to benefit from the additional space in which to grow as part of their ongoing expansion strategy.
As the e-commerce market continues to expand, demand for storage space will rise, great news for storage providers. Online spend up Huge storage demand
George Simpson
Features Editor
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