Retail storage: Keeping products safe, secure, and prepped for delivery
Whether we’re focused on warehouses, transport, or store shelves, proper product storage is essential to the success of your retail business. There are two overarching factors:
Storage conditions
Accessibility
Storage conditions
At all times, your products must be stored in optimal conditions for the individual item.
Allotting proper storage space and size for products to be stored safely
Ensuring climate-sensitive products are stored in properly controlled locations
Stacking products only as can be done safely and without damaging quality
This goes for all storage points, up to and including when the product lands on store shelves. A misstep here could not only damage your product’s quality, but your brand’s reputation as well.
Accessibility
Retail storage isn’t just about storing products in a single location; it’s about the process of storing, accessing, and transporting multiple times throughout the supply chain.
Regarding accessibility of inventory, simple is always better.
Logical and intuitive paths between touchpoints
Shorter distances between touchpoints
Fewer touchpoints altogether
The surrounding environment should also be conducive to inventory accessibility. Proper signage, adequate lighting, and even movable storage space and equipment should allow team members to transport products as efficiently as possible.
Finally, you’ll likely rely on a variety of assistive technology as your products move from your warehouse to store shelves. Whether this means labor-focused robotic technology or digital software for warehouse management purposes, the proper tools can help you streamline (and even supercharge) your retail storage processes.
Maintain product quality with a proper retail storage strategy
If your products aren’t properly stored at all times — for both quality and transportation purposes — you’re not going to be able to deliver them as promised to your customers.
With a proper retail storage plan in place, though, your products will end up in your customer’s hands as expected, with as little friction as possible.
