Racking Systems for Retail or Retail Trade companies
The retail sector, also known as retail trade or retail sales, is the economic sector that includes companies providing mass-market products and services to the end consumer. This sector covers everything from small businesses to large chains and retail corporations, including supermarkets, stores selling household goods, sports equipment, hardware, textiles, furniture, books, electronics, and more.
At AR Racking, we work with a variety of companies in the retail sector, designing, producing, and installing industrial storage systems that optimize logistics for both large multinational distribution centers and smaller local supply warehouses.
Storage systems for the retail sector
Combination of various systems
Due to the diverse range of companies and products, the retail sector requires storage systems that vary greatly depending on the type of business.
Additionally, the same company often needs warehouses with different characteristics for its physical stores and online sales operations. In both cases, the common factor is the need to store a large number of product references.
Direct access to unit loads
In their online warehouses they will require storage systems or warehouse racking systems with direct access to each unit load, to speed up and facilitate unloading and subsequent preparation of the online order. The retail sector has a large number of product references and therefore compact systems are less interesting.
Stock rotation: priority
Retail sector companies work with a high number of references, so they will need storage systems that ensure correct product rotation. They also market food, pharmacy, textile or cosmetic products with very rapid expiration or obsolescence, so FIFO (First in, First out) stock management will generally be appropriate.
Usual system: Adjustable Pallet Racking
Although, as commented, the ideal system will depend largely on the type of retail company, the selective pallet racking system is the most common in the retail sector, due to its versatility and direct access to each stored unit load. The more fragmented the items in a company’s catalogue, the more necessary and useful selective pallet racking will be due to its great versatility.
Characteristics of the retail sector or retail distribution
The retail sector is a complex sector in terms of logistics and storage, mainly due to the large number and wide range of references with which it works, the different types of customers, and the tight deadlines that must be met to meet demand.
Businesses aimed at distribution
Retail is a sector made up of businesses dedicated to distribution, that is, in essence it is not responsible for the production or manufacturing of products, but rather their marketing to the end customer.
Evolution of sales channels
Its sales channels have evolved over the years, from physical stores and shopping centres initially, to online stores today. This fact has increased the sales possibilities of companies in the retail sector, but it has also significantly increased the complexity of their supply chain.
Recommended Industrial Racking:
Some common storage systems in the retail or retail trade sector are:
Selective Pallet Racking
It is the most common system for the storage of pallet goods in the retail sector, standing out for its direct access to the stored goods and versatility to adapt to different types of products.
Very Narrow Aisle Racking
It has very similar characteristics to the selective pallet racking system, with its same structure and maintaining direct access to all unit loads, but reducing the width of the work aisles. It requires special forklifts to handle the load.
Double Deep Pallet Racking
This is another adaptation of the selective pallet racking system, but in this case storing pallets at 2 depths and therefore losing the selectivity of all the unit loads.
Wide Span Shelving
This is the most common and simplest manual storage system, ideal for storing light or medium load products. It is generally used for retail companies in warehouses that combine pallet systems and manual picking systems.
Case Flow Rack
Storage system for picking of light products, achieving perfect product rotation thanks to working with the FIFO (First in, First out) system.
