If you are an ecommerce business that sells and distributes products directly to your customers or to a wholesaler, finding the right warehouse space is pivotal in establishing an efficient and agile supply chain. Whether you need fulfilment and inventory management, full distribution or warehouse storage located in a prime location such as Manchester, this article explores how to find the right warehouse space that aligns with your business and the needs of your customers.
Warehouse storage is an integral part of your ecommerce business, it provides a safe place to keep your products and materials while also giving you the ability to store inventory in an organised manner. When considering which warehouse storage is best for your ecommerce business, it is important to consider the following factors:
- Whether you require a full 3PL service included
- The average number of orders you will be distributing per month
- The location of the warehouse and where you distribute products
- The amount of space you need
- Your budget
We’ll look at each of these in more detail so that you can begin to narrow down your search for the perfect warehouse storage solution for your ecommerce business.
Inventory and Order Management
Most 3PL companies go beyond just providing basic storage. Their services extend to include inventory management, quality inspections, labelling, custom packaging, and more. This will provide a one-stop shop for your ecommerce business and allow you to focus on the strategic running of your business, rather than day-to-day fulfilment.
The warehouse storage space you choose will need to be able to accommodate the size of your products and have the capacity to deal with the weekly order volume that you’re likely to need.
Choosing your warehouse location
The next thing to consider is the most strategic location to store your products. This will depend on where your customers are located, and cost. Warehouse in prime locations such as close to a city centre, or near airports and ports can be at a premium. If you are shipping products from Europe or worldwide, you may want a warehouse close to an airport so that your goods can be easily passed through customs and sent direct to the warehouse without additional transportation.
Another consideration is whether your products are distributed around the country or close to a specific region? You will need to consider a location that allows you to deliver goods fast and reduce shipping costs.
The amount of warehouse space you’ll need
What is the size of your product inventory and the individual products (are they small, bulky/heavy)? This will determine how much warehouse space you will need at any one time. You’ll need to consider your full inventory and potential projected orders, with enough stock to buffer against delays in shipments etc.
Warehouse operations and workforce
Another consideration when choosing warehouse space for your ecommerce business is the availability and expertise of their warehouse staff. Factors such as what technology they use to track your inventory, and whether it can integrated with your own internal website or system, whether they have enough staff to cope with the demand of your orders and what transportation they have available to get your products from A to B.
Finding the right warehouse and outsourcing the logistics of your ecommerce business is vital to get right to ensure the smooth running of your operations and will allow you to focus on other elements of running your business.
Blacksmith Freight offers 42,000 sq. ft. of warehouse storage space at Manchester Airport Freight Terminal and we provide order fulfilment and a full 3PL service to a range of clients both in the UK and globally. To find out more, call 0161 499 0804.