Nearly 100 million sq ft in additional warehouse space will be needed by 2024 to keep up with the growth of online retail, new analysis suggests. Growth of online grocery alone could create demand for 7.1 million sq ft of warehouse space in four years, according to Knight Frank. The real estate advisor examined five-year data for online sales and retailer warehouse space take-up to calculate that 1.36 million sq ft was needed for every £1bn. Temporary buildings are one way to meet the demand for warehouse space. They can be tailored to meet exact demands and can be installed within a few weeks of an order being placed.
This article was first published in the March 1st 2023 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
“As a business with better solutions, it frustrates us that, faced with an immediate need for additional on-site space, a company will arrange to have a couple of containers or trailers delivered for a quick resolution only to find they’re still on site two or three years later – costing substantially more than the company ever considered, whilst proving very impractical at the same time,” says Jason Lynock, Sales Director, Smart-Space Instant Buildings. “We’ve changed lives when we’ve been able to replace several unsightly containers for a spacious, practical instant building – they can see exactly where everything is stored on organised racking in light, airy units!”
We are often told to switch off equipment when not in use to reduce energy bill costs, but the manufacturer of your business’ equipment might offer add-ons that reduce energy costs, even when switched on. For example, Junair, a leading spray booth manufacturer, gives you the option to purchase energy-efficient add-on features for your spray booth that will save you money in the long run. You can even check how much money you could save with their handy calculator on the homepage of their website.
To improve heating/energy costs, warehouses can only heat the areas they need to by installing a Flexiwall partition from Westgate, market-leading suppliers of industrial partitions. This floor-to-ceiling heavy duty fabric wall is used to divide large industrial warehouse and factory space. It can be made to any height and width to suit tall buildings and easily installs around existing ducts and pipework, creating an airtight seal of over 99% which is great for maintaining heat and air flow.
The Range has started work on the largest warehouse development to be built in the UK this year – a new state-of-the-art 1.2million ft2 distribution unit located at Gateway 14 – Suffolk’s new logistics park. Set to create around 1,650 jobs once complete in 12 months; the huge new mega-shed is part of the value retailer’s aggressive growth strategy which will see it increase its existing store portfolio – currently 210 stores in UK & ROI – by a further 100 stores as well as providing the ability to add thousands of new value-added products to its rapidly expanding store network and e-commerce business.
With demand for warehouse space ever increasing, temporary buildings provide a quick and bespoke solution.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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