Regardless of whether you run an online business or a bricks and mortar business in the high street, the demand that’s seen as the seasons change will not be unfamiliar to many retail businesses. Of course the Christmas and Easter period may be relatively easy to predict, but it can always throw in some surprises that can throw many retailers off guard. If you run an online business, you may have a small office or even a garage where you keep your stock, and you haven’t really considered that you may need more space for your stock as different seasons approach.
Logistics services to consider for your business
You may be saying to yourself, “Well, I haven’t had to use storage before, so why would I need to now?”The answer is that there are new phases being implemented that haven’t been seen before, and due to the online world, retailers can see spikes in sales at unexpected times. One such example is Black Friday and Cyber Monday, although popular in the U.S. it was relatively unknown in the U.K. other than it was a day that Americans would rush to the shops to pick up their favourite bargains. Cyber Monday was the online equivalent, with millions of people going online to ensure that they got hold of the latest deals. Recently the U.K. has adopted both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and as such retailers have seen a large spike in their sales. A raise in sales evidently means more requirement for stock, but where can the goods be stored? Sure, some of the bigger companies may already have the space available, but what about startups and small businesses? If you’re just starting out it can be difficult to ascertain as to how much storage space you will need. You may have too much to start with, so in this regard if you were to get a sudden influx of stock you would be prepared. On the other hand, many startups are likely to be looking at warehouse space within their budget, so they could be bewildered as to what the next steps are when it comes to acquiring additional space.
No-one can predict what tomorrow will bring, and this is also true in the world of retail, but it doesn’t hurt in being prepared should you need to acquire some storage for Christmas or other busy periods. Today’s consumers expect a product to be delivered almost as quickly as if they had gone to collect the goods themselves. To meet the expectations of the customer, retailers need to ensure that they have the required items in stock. If a customer feels like their delivery time is too long and isn’t presented with any other options, it isn’t surprising to find that they may well try somewhere else. In today’s retail world, it is important that you are able to meet your customer expectations in order to build a long-term relationship with them.
The online world also opens the doors to many crazes and niches that will raise and drop in popularity. If you happen to be one of the businesses that supplies a product that suddenly in high demand, it can be a little overwhelming in trying to squeeze the stock into storage that was only acquired for the general amount of stock you keep throughout the year. Obviously, if you only need space for specific times of the year, then it makes sense to speak to warehouses to see what they are able to offer. Like many other businesses, warehouse logistic companies will have slightly different business models, but you will find that they are more than happy to offer temporary storage during your busier times.
If you haven’t already, then your first port of call will be to make enquiries as to what your local warehouse logistics companies are able to offer. You should find that most, if not all, will be happy to accommodate your storage needs and will give you some guidance on price when you advise them of your requirements. The extra space will lift the pressure from you, and evidently make your current stock easier to manage.
Overspill Storage for your seasonal requirements
Of course, additional storage space may be too excessive for some, where some business may have overspill that is equal to thousands of units, smaller business may just have extra stock that isn’t a great volume, but proves to be a problem when it comes to storing it in a safe manner. If you are looking to store goods in your current storage facilities, but space is tight, then it may be well worth looking to see if there are any changes that can be made to your current arrangements. For example, there may be some space to put up some additional shelving, or you may have some stock that’s been sitting in your warehouse for some time, but you’ve never got round to getting rid of it. In this regard, it may be worth looking into removing some older stock, especially if it’s been kept for longer than legal requirements allow. You will be surprised at how much space can be freed up.
Evidently, as time goes on you will have a better understanding of how your business operates, its busiest times and the times when little activity occurs. If you find that you only need the additional for storage for certain times through the year, for example, if you sell goods all year round, but buy in stock aimed towards the Christmas market, then you may want to make arrangements with a warehouse to stock your goods for that particular period, with you storing the rest of the stock throughout the year at your own facilities. However, when speaking to some warehouses you will find that they are very helpful when it comes to their customer base, and they will more than likely ensure that your current storage facilities and your temporary ones are cost effective, and in some cases they may even be able to save you money.
Overall, when it comes to seasonal storage you need to ensure all your bases are covered. Make the enquiries with relative logistic companies before you fall victim to a sudden influx of additional stock. You don’t need to make an agreement there and then, but at least you have the information should a situation arise, and what’s more, the enquiries you’ve already made mean that you will know who to use and how to contact them with relative ease. The last thing you want to be doing is phoning round different logistic companies which will only eat into your own time and make the situation much more stressful than it really should be. It also ensures that your customers are kept happy and that they see you as a retailer who is able to meet their demands. This in turn will spread your reputation which again will help you receive new orders.
DMG Freight Services provide third party logistics services to businesses and are based in the UK. Call us on to see how we can save your business time and money.
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