One of the most important aspects of running an e-commerce business is ensuring your products get to your customers safely and on time. To do this, many companies will turn to third-party logistics providers to ship their products to their customers, as well as provide warehouses and storage facilities for their stock. It’s important to know the advantages self-storage units can provide you with, so read on to learn about how e-commerce businesses can benefit from self-storage units.
Self Storage as an Alternative to Warehousing
While most people typically think of self-storage as a place to keep extra furniture or boxes, it’s more than that. Self-storage facilities are great for those looking to start a business that doesn’t require long-term office space (think: web developers and some mobile phone repair services). These businesses typically need a place to store any unsold merchandise or excess inventory they have sitting around while they continue to expand. Some may even decide that renting out part of their space is a good way to generate additional revenue. All of these reasons point toward using self-storage as an alternative form of warehousing.
Self-Storage as a Neat Solution for E-Businesses
Not every consumer likes making purchases online, and for some, it’s a hard habit to break. Whether that’s because of privacy or comfort reasons is irrelevant; there are still plenty of consumers who like browsing in person, which puts you at a disadvantage if you aren’t equipped to handle that experience. The great thing about self-storage is that it gives you an excellent brick-and-mortar location for those customers with no qualms about making purchases online—and more importantly, it allows them to come in after hours. Consider operating on a 24/7 schedule—you could provide added convenience for your late-night shoppers while also reaching new demographics. If you’re looking to make more money per square foot and increase foot traffic, self-storage might be your new lease on life!
Self Storage As a Shipping Partner
Self-storage companies are perfect partners for many eCommerce businesses. As a retailer, you may want to consider using their facilities as a shipping and receiving hub. There are many benefits of using a self-storage company as a shipping partner for your business. Whether you’re operating your store or selling on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, having physical locations where customers pick up their orders helps keep costs down and make sure products reach them when promised. Self-storage offers companies an ideal space to store extra inventory to sell on marketplaces while saving on real estate costs associated with running retail stores themselves.
Self-storage facilities can offer cheaper shipping rates due to their connections with couriers. You can receive your shipments directly at their facilities, rather than waiting for delivery or having to pay extra for special deliveries like rush orders. In addition, you have control over when and how often shipments arrive—you don’t have to work around someone else’s schedule or delivery windows. By utilising a facility that is close to your customers, you cut down on transit time and costs while also making it easier for them to pick up their packages. This saves customers money on both ends, as they pay less in shipping costs and don’t need to go out of their way for deliveries.
Self-Storage as Pick-Up/Drop-Off Point
This is a great way to use your space. If you’re operating an online business, many of your customers will need to pick up or drop off points for their deliveries and to receive their purchases. These could be small items such as office supplies, furniture or equipment that have been ordered online, or they could be large pieces of packaging that need to be picked up and delivered by courier service. Whatever your particular needs are there are ways to make sure they’re addressed with a self-storage facility in place.
Self-Storage As a Customer Address
The biggest advantage of using a self-storage unit as your business address is that you don’t have to pay rent on it. Instead, you simply sign up for a subscription package and keep boxes in your unit until they are needed. If you only need to use it occasionally, you pay less than if you had a traditional location. This also cuts down on advertising costs because there’s no overhead involved. If you’re looking to open an online store, but are strapped for space in which to run operations, setting up at a self-storage facility could be just what you need to get started.
How Prestige Storage Can Help
Many business owners in Johannesburg are constantly looking for ways to keep their prices down while still maintaining a high level of quality. They often find that storing inventory in self-storage facilities is a great way to save money. When you pair a shipping and logistics company with a warehouse facility like Prestige Storage, your supply chain process becomes more streamlined and effective. Whether you run an e-commerce business or not, it’s always helpful to keep operations as efficient as possible. Prestige Storage is proud to offer excellent service at affordable rates. Give us a call today!
About Prestige Storage
Prestige Storage provides a service for e-commerce merchants by allowing them to store extra inventory. Merchants can place items in our secure, high-quality self storage facility and then retrieve their products as needed, creating a virtual warehouse without having to deal with leasing physical space. Not only does our system create more space for your growing business but it also saves you money on warehouse costs and insurance.
We offer convenient access to your products, which means you’ll never have to worry about whether or not you have enough inventory on hand. Your goods are always available and ready for your clients. Prestige Storage is a unique service that combines traditional self-storage with modern technology. Our facility features state-of-the-art security systems and friendly staff who are always willing to help. We look forward to working with you! Contact us today for more information about our services.