30% of all retail sales were online in November 2020* the stats don’t lie. The way we shop has been adapting over the past few years but since the on-set of COVID-19 online shopping has grown exponentially as businesses and people are living and working as never before to protect lives and keep safe. So, is now the time to move your retail business online?
We are no longer able to ‘pop’ to the shops to browse and purchase so we are forced to shop online meaning for many high street retailers to keep up with the competition an online presence is vital – this means your warehouse needs to be able to respond to you moving your retail business online and all the changes that come with it.
E-commerce warehouse.
Moving your retail business online means you will be moving away, maybe not fully away from, a physical store dealing with customers face to face to warehouse distribution where roles are focused around order fulfilment, rather than customer facing skills. There are some obvious drawbacks to digital trading, the main one being that customers are unable to try the product before purchase, which means they will look to purchase an easily returnable product.
The entire process of goods in, storage, sorting, picking, packing, despatch and returns takes place in a fulfilment warehouse or distribution centre; the focal point of customer service. So whether you’re opening a new facility or adapting your current here is some useful e-commerce warehouse planning tips:
Look at the space you have.
You will need to assess your expected inventory and measure it against the full cubic area of the space you have available. You will also need to look at the space you have above and how to best make use of it to increase your storage capacity. Inventory direction flow will also influence your internal layout meaning you will need to assess your goods in and out. Make sure to consider departmental activities and how your space will need to be positioned and sized appropriately.
Storage requirements.
Once you have identified the characteristics of your inventory this will allow you to choose the correct warehouse storage system to install. Your inventory should be stored and handled by its own specifics; time-sensitivity, temperature, speed of turn around etc all need to be considered when going through the options of your warehouse storage solutions and moving your retail business online.
Storage priorities.
If you are selling temperature-controlled inventory it will increase your warehouse running costs as due to higher energy consumption. To try and keep your costs as low as possible, cold storage warehouses look at increasing storage capacity in limited cold zones by installing high compact pallet racking solutions. Another option for efficient energy storage in cold zones is push-back and mobile racking.
Push back racking only has one fixed working aisle meaning the area is utilised for storage. As new pallets are loaded they push the already sitting pallet further onto the slightly sloped, deep lanes that are fitted with integrated rollers or carts to assist with movement. Mobile racking consists of pallet racks mounted into a mobile base which move to open one single-aisle and when access is required. With this solution, there is no wasted space through the elimination of unnecessary fixed working aisles so more pallets can be stored in the same area.
Access to various product types.
If you store multiple product types at the same time then you may need a more diverse solution. You will find wide aisle pallet racking is a simple form of pallet racking that offers efficiency, accessibility and flexibility. Pallets can be clearly seen and accessed and can be adjusted depending on your needs, beams can be repositioned and the racks can be extended, should you need to increase storage capacity the system can be configured to form double deep pallet racking.
Time-sensitive stock.
If you have perishable, time-sensitive stock using pallet live racking works on a first-in, first-out basis meaning the first pallet loaded is the first to be picked and allows for extremely high levels of storage density in a given area and it provides automatic stock rotation, with the minimum of fork-lift truck movements required to handle the flow of goods.
Storing high volumes with limited floor space.
If your storage space is limited a good solution to implement is narrow aisle pallet racking as it utilises height and floor space at the same time by implementing very narrow aisles and very tall racks. This system can reduce aisle width by 50% of a standard aisle size, the racks can be built as tall as the eaves and apex and gives 100% accessibility to all pallets. For this solution, you will need to invest in specialist trucks to see a high return through increased productivity.
Choosing the right warehouse shelving for your commerce website.
Choosing the right shelving for your warehouse will result in higher productivity and offers numerous options for small parts and storage for individual items. The following shelving solutions are most commonly used in commerce and can be designed around your specific requirements.
Long span shelving
Is used for the storage of hand-picked items from boxes and larger cartons, it comes in many depths, widths and heights. The system is easy to install with the beams hooking into the uprights. This shelving system incorporates a wide range of frame and beam sizes making it simple to customise an installation that meets your exact needs. A bolt free lock-in system ensures that once the support beams have been located, they remain in position improving safety for operatives accessing the installation. A variety of shelf materials can be used from melamine to galvanised steel
Metal Adjustable Shelving.
A smaller lighter-duty shelving system aimed at small parts, plastic container (tote bin) storage which can be used in stores and offices, this shelving system typically comes in two standard various widths, various depths, heights and has the option of being part/fully enclosed (cladded).Its also highly versatile and can have door fronts, drawers and sub dividers.
Mobile Shelving.
Mobile shelving offers a more specialist application where space is at a premium. It comes in two types; hand or electrically operated, this shelving system sits in a nice tight block creating access aisles when you need it. Mobile shelving can be a great solution where space is at a premium
Warehouse storage solutions for long and heavy loads.
For long, heavy loads it is quite clear that shelving and pallet racking are not suitable options, the recommended solution would be cantilever racking – a highly robust, heavy-duty racking system that can be designed to take any weight with the option to galvanise for extra durability if used for external storage. Cantilever racking is an ideal storage solution for timber and metal products and can be found more commonly in timber and builders yards.
Mezzanine floors can increase usable floor space.
Most warehouses or distribution centres will have sufficient over head space to install a mezzanine floor and give you more usable space. A mezzanine will give you many opportunities to use the space effectively; additional storage, partitioned offices for staff, shelving for storage or even incorporated into a manufacturing process. Mezzanines can be single, two or three-tier and are accessed via a stairway. Pallet gates and chutes can be installed to aid smooth access of product on and off the mezzanine depending on height space.
* BBC