These days, many high-street retail businesses are operating as dual-purpose warehouses.
Stocking inventory for in-store shoppers. Preparing online orders for local pickup. Picking and packing orders for direct shipping.
These are just a few things that you might have to take care of while running a high-street store, and on top of all your other duties, it’s incredibly easy to fall behind.
This is why many companies are starting to outsource their warehousing duties.
From streamlining complicated order fulfilment processes to ensuring the safe storage of your stock, doing so has many benefits that will help you stay on top of your game.
In the current climate, many companies are looking for ways to cut their costs, and surely warehousing services are just another expense, right?
Nope! This could actually help your business save money in the long run.
Let’s dive into four of the most important cost benefits of warehousing in Sheffield for your high-street retail business.
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Offsite storage space can cut costs
There are many ways that having a storage space separate from your high-street store can save you money.
Firstly, getting rid of your store’s stock room frees up more space for other more important business duties. You could even expand your shop floor to make room for more stock and boost sales.
Maybe you’re just starting out and are considering modifying your retail space and building storage areas from scratch.
Before you make any expensive changes, look into your warehousing options and weigh up the costs.
Only paying for the cost of the warehousing contract itself – and other costs that may be associated with the warehouse you choose – you should find that it’s much more cost-effective.
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Streamlined operations help reduce labour costs
Many warehouses offer more than just storage space, and have in-house teams that can take care of organising, picking and packing, shipping, and replenishing your stock.
With these processes streamlined in this way, you can keep labour costs to an absolute minimum, so you can hire more staff, increase your working hours, and expand your business even further.
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Bulk storage reduces the cost of goods
Medium-sized retailers who receive a larger influx of online orders – be it for in-store collection or home delivery – can benefit massively from warehousing, especially if they’re looking to cut costs.
Having a bigger space allows you to buy and store more inventory – and ordering in bulk provides better negotiation opportunities with suppliers for you as a retailer.
With better deals and reduced inventory costs, your customers can enjoy bigger savings on their shopping hauls.
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Better customer service means stronger customer retention
With increased retail space, an offsite team taking care of your warehousing duties, reduced labour costs, and a practically endless supply of stock, you’ll be able to deliver exceptional service to your customers.
Think about it:
You have a larger area to serve more customers, you don’t have to worry about preparing and dispatching orders yourself, you can hire more staff and extend your opening hours to serve your patrons, and you’ll have all the stock you need to keep your shop shelves full.
When you’re meeting your customers’ needs like this, they’re more likely to purchase from your store again in the future. Which not only translates to better customer retention, but increased profits, too.
Looking for warehousing services for your retail business?
There’s no denying the cost benefits of outsourcing your retail warehousing duties, and there are plenty of storage and warehousing solutions in Sheffield and surrounding areas near you that could be ideal for your business.
The team at FDC Holdings, for example, have been providing their warehousing services for over 40 years, and have worked with many different businesses – helping them to see huge savings, among many other benefits.
To find out more, contact their friendly experts today!
