What Type of Shelving Does My Business Need?

Shelving can be used for all types of businesses. EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou recently opened a discount food store in North West London selling bargain foods for 29p, and the no-frills store opted for the common orange and blue racking more familiar to large warehouses.

At the other end of the scale would be the likes of the Zappos warehouse (left) which serves a large e-commerce store. The shelving needs to accommodate a huge selection of goods which are picked by staff to be delivered to customers.

Your choice of shelving will depend on your business needs. Some helpful questions to ask yourself might be:

• What do you plan to store?

Weight, size and amount needs to be taken into account.

• Who will access it?

If you’re providing shelving for customers to pick their goods from you will need to be aware of relevant health and safety issues. You might also want to consider aesthetics. The shelving chosen for the easyFoodstore might be very practical but it doesn’t give the right message if what you’re selling is a high-end product.

If you’re using shelving for employees, you’ll also need to be aware of health and safety but also the ways goods are accessed. Are you providing shelves for pickers on foot? For instance, if workers use ladders then does the new shelving system your buying match the ladders you already have or will there be issues? Any added costs may lead you toward another option.

• How much are you willing to spend?

A smaller budget may restrict your options, making the choice simpler, but might also mean you don’t quite get the best match for your business needs. We would recommend investing in used shelving in this circumstance.

For larger shelving needs, find out about our second-hand pallet shelving offers.

• How high are your ceilings?

It can be easy to forget your vertical measurements when your focus may be on available floor space. Don’t get caught out by purchasing shelving which won’t fit or which leaves lots of vacant warehouse air that you could otherwise be utilising.

• Do you have products with a ‘shelf life’

Some goods can be tucked away at the back of others if they rarely need to be accessed but food, for instance, may need regular rotation. If this is the case, you’ll want shelving which suits this need.

Once you’ve spent time considering your needs, you’ll need to measure your space. Get your measuring equipment out and make some notes!

Next, Plan how you want to arrange your shelving. This process will help highlight anything you’ve not thought about as well as help you to make your shelving choice.

The final step is to get online and research the most suitable shelving. If you need help finding used shelving for larger applications, we can help you get what you need.

Contact a member of our team will get back to you.