What influences pick rates in retail? - Many Factors!

 

As of December 2024, e-commerce accounted for over 27% of all UK retail sales* . Compare this to a 15.7% average between 2008 - 2023*, and you can imagine the millions of individual orders warehouses have to process daily.

 

With this kind of rapid growth, e-commerce organisations face several challenges:

 

An effective warehouse fulfilment plan can significantly improve productivity and overall operational efficiency.

 

However, any plan must take into account multiple factors. Let’s explore what those are, and the solutions that could support their success.

 

 

 

When considering IT solutions such as a Warehouse Management System (WMS) or even the physical space occupied, how often is the optimal solution readily available without requiring some modifications? More importantly, how often do today’s requirements mirror those from two or three years ago?

 

With the rapid growth mentioned above, it’s unlikely an older solution or set up will suit an organisation that has grown in the last few years.

Often, businesses default to “off-the-shelf solutions” rather than developing a "tailor-made solution" that suits their current processes and can adapt to future fulfilment changes. This oversight frequently occurs toward the end of the planning process. Without the right equipment specifically designed for your operations, it’s difficult to implement key solutions like a Warehouse Management System (WMS), improve productivity, or consider outsourcing to a third-party logistics provider (3PL).

 

One of the most critical areas to consider is order fulfilment: what impacts your output and how can it be improved? Are there ways to save time and reduce materials waste?

Additionally, staff wellbeing is crucial – as we know, a happy worker is a productive worker.

 

In discussions with a wide range of retail companies, any improvements identified are vital for achieving profitability.

For instance, saving just two seconds on a picking operation can yield significant financial benefits for a business, depending on the number of picks performed.

 

Most businesses aspire to grow and expand, making efficiency a priority.

 

 

 

 

With your growth in mind, consider the types of equipment you’re using now and what might be likely to change in the future, what factors will influence these changes.

Let’s take a picking trolley as an example, and consider these key questions:

 

 

Many organisations find themselves either "making do" with inadequate equipment or, worse, having to scrap their equipment and start over.

Whilst custom-built solutions are more expensive than typical off-the-shelf solutions, equipment that offers flexibility, and can adapt to demand, team members and new processes offer undeniable ROI.

 

They can account for all the considerations listed above. Custom, flexible solutions address not only the efficiency of e-procurement order fulfilment, but they give you the ability to adapt and change your warehouse processes to suit fluctuations in demand, team size and product range.

 

 

 

Business growth and warehouse productivity go hand in hand – saving seconds on a picking operation can significantly impact your bottom line.

That’s why having the right equipment for the job is essential and that’s where we come in.

 

But what makes us different from other warehouse-racking solutions? Flexibility.

 

 

We’ve been developing, using and refining our solutions for 40 years, and we are proud to offer custom solutions that we guarantee will improve your pick rate.

 

Don’t make do with an inflexible operation. Disassemble, reconstruct, adapt and optimise.

 

Our dedicated team will visit your site, understand your process and offer a smart solution. Find out more about how we can help, get in touch today: enquiries@flowstore.com