Top Four Uses For Pallet Racking

Of the most fundamental parts of the modern warehouse, pallet racking is by far the biggest and perhaps the most underappreciated.

Part of this is, unlike the forklift and the pallet itself, racking systems stay largely static whilst inventory moves around it at a frenetic pace, much like how people tend to notice the objects moving around on their desk more than the desk itself.

Because of this, as well as the ubiquity of pallet racking given that practically every warehouse needs it, it can sometimes be easy to forget just how versatile pallet racking is.

With that in mind, here are five of the most important, most unique and most unusual uses for pallet racking systems.

Extremely Efficient Storage

The reason why pallet racking is so important in the first place is that it is the most efficient way to store vast amounts of inventory.

Building a warehouse higher is much cheaper than building outward because whilst you need to pay for every extra piece of square footage your warehouse takes up, you can build a warehouse from the earth to the heavens, at least in theory.

Efficient, secure shelving units, increasingly capable forklifts and the ease of pallet transport make it possible to build warehouses that stretch as high as the capabilities of rack storage and forklifts.

Big Box Retail Warehouse

Whilst most retail shelving tends to use a myriad of different shelving systems, one of the most interesting and most common is the use of pallet racking to create a retail warehouse, also known as a “big box” store.

These types of large stores, often found in shopping centres and retail parks, are logistically similar to other types of warehouses without trying to hide the aesthetic resemblance. Instead, inventory is typically arranged from floor to ceiling.

The idea behind a retail warehouse both in practice and in marketing is that by converging the storage and sale of goods in the same building, storage costs are lowered, which are in turn passed along to the consumer.

Warehouse Club

Similar to a big-box store, a warehouse club is a wholesale retailer that stores goods on pallets and pallet racking in its retail-ready packaging, and because of the lack of additional laying out, amenities and facilities, they can offer significantly cheaper prices as a result, even more so than a retail warehouse store.

The typical difference between the two is that a warehouse club will often require a membership, which is typically restricted to small businesses.

Both typically use cash and carry systems, where customers will pay at the warehouse and arrange their own delivery, rather than having their goods delivered from a typical warehouse.

Pallet racking is essential both practically and aesthetically, as the rack shelving works effectively as no-frills retail shelving.

Dark Supermarket

Also known as a fulfilment centre, a dark supermarket is a warehouse where ordered goods are picked, packed and shipped to a large number of customers using an exceptionally efficient range of rack shelving and computer-aided logistics.

They can save money compared to a typical warehouse by reducing the need for a customer-friendly store layout and as long as there are access roads can be implemented practically anywhere.

For more information on Top Four Uses For Pallet Racking talk to UK Shelving Ltd