During the Covid-19 pandemic, warehouses have been forced to adapt to facilitate social distancing and increased orders, which has led to warehouse managers rethinking their storage solutions.
E-commerce sales have boomed as a result of the pandemic, which has created a high demand for warehouse equipment. Many retailers affected by their stores closing during lockdown have increased their online operations. They have had to move from shipping orders to stores to sending small packages to individual customers.
To cope with increased online sales, new warehouses are being built, and existing ones are re-organising their space to store more stock. The challenge is how to maximise storage space without compromising on social distancing. Warehouse managers are working with their specific warehouse equipment manufacturer to create more efficient storage options.
Modular shelving, which is flexible enough to be repositioned and resized, is one solution. Jay Cox, a Sales Director in the warehouse industry, told Modern Materials Handling that:
“To accommodate the uptick in e-commerce orders, companies have to be able to hold, store and pick more products using their existing space. With the right racking and shelving in place, they can access additional, useable space without having to knock down walls or build new facilities.”
Another challenge is how to handle more orders in a day. This requires very efficient packing stations. Many storage facilities are using warehouse management systems that automate picking routes and monitor the progress of every order from picking and packing to delivery at the customer’s home.
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