The volume of e-commerce has reached record levels over the last two years, with the long term trend towards online shopping exaggerated by the pandemic. This trend has created a demand for storage space. A report for UKWA from Savills, published in June 2021, compares the latest statistics to data from six years ago. The report revealed a 32% rise in the number of warehousing units, and a 242% increase in units of over 1 million sq ft. While back in 2015, high street retailers were the dominant occupiers, now the leading occupier group is 3PLs, with increased occupation levels of 42%, and online retailers, who have increased warehouse occupancy by 614%.
This article was first published in the December 1st 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
One company taking advantage of this new landscape is CopriSystems, provider of temporary buildings for industry. CopriSystems’ buildings are durable and come with a 10-year guarantee as standard, although many are still standing strong after 20. For The Dash Group, who provide logistics services to businesses around the country, it was clear they needed additional facilities to fulfil their business obligations and keep up with customer expectations. Rather than renting or building conventional space, a temporary, bespoke distribution warehouse, measuring 25m wide x 7m long x 4.8m high, was considered the best, most cost-effective solution, enabling them to make critical changes quickly without compromising day-to-day business.
Smart-Space has its own teams of installers operating all over the UK who are employed and therefore they manage all the compliance and assume all of the risk. Having a genuine understanding of the instant building business, with years of accumulated expertise and established processes, guarantees it’ll be completed quicker with an eye on every last detail. A site survey undertaken by Smart-Space before starting work allows the team to see what needs to be addressed before, during and after each installation.
Grøntvedt Pelagic, one of Norway’s leading producers of herring, chose Rubb as the supplier for their warehouse at Ørland in Sør Trøndelag. Rubb delivered an FXG 30m x 108m x 5m hall, insulated with 150 mm Glava pro 34 insulation. The facility was divided into two areas with a partition and used for maturing and storage of barrels of herring prior to export. Grøntvedt then expanded its cold storage capacity further with an additional FXG 30m x 152m x 5m Thermohall with the same insulation thickness, and two partitions inside.
The growth in e-commerce is set to continue in the years to come. The consequent demand for warehouse storage is good news for suppliers of buildings and facilities.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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