Is your store’s stockroom a cluttered mess? Do you have boxes and pallets stacked haphazardly all over the place? Has your stockroom become a storage area for junk that doesn’t belong there? If you answered yes to any of these, then you’re probably like thousands of store owner’s around the world. Even though the stockroom is a vitally important part of any store, it often gets relegated to a lower status since customers can’t see it. Here are some upgrades you can make your stockroom to make it more efficient and organized.
Upgrade Your Lighting
This one may seem odd but having good lighting in your stockroom will make it much easier to find what you’re looking for. Too many stockrooms are dimly lit rooms full of stacked boxes. These aren’t exactly spaces that make it easy to find things. A well-lit stockroom will make it easier for you to read the labels on cases and find your product much more quickly. Bright LED lights are a great way to do this upgrade as they’ll help you save energy costs as well.
Make Your Shelves Movable
If there’s one thing that’s constant in retail, it’s that consumer tastes change. What was popular and in-demand one week may not be the next. As such, it’s important to be able to easily relocate high-demand products to a more accessible space. A locking swivel caster mounted to each bottom corner of your shelves will make it easy to move entire shelves around your stockroom. When not being moved, the casters can be locked so the shelf won’t move. This upgrade will also allow you to reconfigure your shelf layout and aisles as needed.
Create an Organizational Structure
As noted above, making your shelves mobile will make it easier to reconfigure your storage space. Next, you need to find the right way to organize. Get rid of things that don’t belong there. Place the inventory that cycles the fastest towards the front of your stockroom for easy access. Place heavier items on lower shelves. Rotate your inventory so the oldest products are at the front and the first to be grabbed. Make sure labels are facing outwards and easy to read. Ensure your employees understand your organizational method so they can quickly find what they need.
To get the most efficiency out of your stockroom, some easy upgrades can make a big difference. It will be easier for you and your employees to find what is needed as soon as possible and will help you avoid as much waste with products aging out. Try these upgrades today and enjoy your streamlined stockroom.