With a total of 179 locations, including 130 stores in the United Kingdom (including over 70 in London and the South East and the rest in key metropolitan areas like Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Bristol), 29 stores in the greater Paris area, 9 stores in the Netherlands, 6 stores in Belgium, and 5 locations within Barcelona, Spain, Safestore is the largest self-storage group in the United Kingdom.
Safestore began in the United Kingdom in 1998. Safestore Group’s current chief executive officer, Frederic Vecchioli, launched the French company “Une Pièce en Plus” in 1998, and in 2004 Safestore Group bought out Vecchioli.
Warehouse and business storage space for small and medium-sized enterprises
The terms “warehousing” and “commercial storage space” probably conjure up ideas of enormous spaces that can be accessible by pallet trucks and forklifts, like the fulfilment centres that are utilised by businesses such as Amazon.com. Large firms that have specialised divisions to manage their commercial storage logistics and fulfilment services are a good fit for the traditional large-scale warehouse and crate storage that is typically employed by these companies.
If you are operating a small or medium-sized enterprise, on the other hand, you probably do not have enough stock to warrant the kind of cost that is associated with those additional services. You likely just need a place to store your goods until you are able to sell it to your clients.
Where do smaller businesses keep their inventory?
According to Direct Line, approximately two-thirds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have merchandise that needs to be held, and of those businesses, almost three-quarters use space in their own homes as storage. It’s possible that you’re storing inventory for your small and medium-sized enterprise right now in the attic, the basement, the garage, or even the master bedroom.
Clearly, this is hardly the best possible scenario. If you keep your inventory at home, not only will it make your home more cluttered and you will be reminded of work even while you are there, but it also puts your inventory at risk of being stolen or damaged. According to estimates provided by Direct Line, more than one-quarter of small and medium-sized businesses have suffered losses of this nature. Of course, if theft is involved, it’s not just the stock that’s lost; it’s also the feeling that you and your family are safe and secure within your own home.
Other small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that operate physical stores keep their inventory in the rear rooms and any other storage space that is free within their commercial unit. However, this can be restricting for clients, and if you run out of stock of an item, they may choose to shop elsewhere, as fewer people these days are ready to wait for the things they want to be delivered to them.
If you’ve grown to the point in your company where you have more inventory than you can comfortably store in your store or at home, and you’re seeking for commercial storage space, the option you’re looking for might be self-storage warehouse.
Is there a market for small to medium-sized warehouses?
You might have written off the thought of renting a commercial storage facility due to the misconception that these kinds of facilities are only appropriate for very large corporations. Actually, here at Safestore, Their warehouse facilities are just what small and medium-sized businesses need for secure commercial storage. They provide indoor storage spaces that are both secure and spacious enough to accommodate your business’s inventory, but they do it without the additional fees that are typically associated with providing logistics, fulfilment services, crate storage, or shipping.
It is important to note at this point that they also offer smaller units that are ideally suited to archive storage. If it is just paperwork that is cluttering up your home or shop, you could use one of their smaller units or lockers. It is worth noting that they also offer larger units that are ideally suited to archive storage.
What is a storage facility that operates on its own?
If you just require a huge space that is both safe and easy to reach in a short amount of time, self-storage facilities are an excellent choice for business storage. There are no extended tie-in terms for business leases, nor are there any additional taxes, security charges, or indemnity insurance premiums that must be paid. You can get exactly as much storage space as you require in a safe, climate-controlled container for the price of just one week’s rent.
They have shelving units that are for sale so that you can organise your merchandise in a way that makes it simple for you to retrieve it so that you can fulfil orders for your clients. Should you want assistance loading or unloading heavier items, a few of their businesses make pallet trucks and forklift services available to customers (see below).
Their units are indoors. The warehouse-sized units often feature big double doors that serve as the entryway, and many of them also have covered drive-up access. Simply drive up, load or unload your inventory, and organise it in whatever manner is most effective for your supply chain.
Your weekly unit cost would include 24-hour recorded CCTV, alarms, fire and pest controls; all they’d ask is that you get insurance to cover the cost of the contents of your warehouse unit, in the extremely improbable event that the worst case scenario should occur.
Benefits of a self storage unit as commercial storage
What you get with a warehouse-sized self storage unit is affordable, flexible commercial storage. You won’t be paying for services you don’t need, such as fulfilment or logistics services, and if your stock level varies throughout the year you can change the size of your unit so you’re not paying for empty space.
You may save time, money, and space by storing your business’s inventory with Safestore
They operate a chain of stores that spans the entire country.
A warehouse could be positioned near your company’s main office or retail outlet, your logistics provider of choice (if you use one), your suppliers, or even your clients, whichever is most convenient. If it makes more sense for your business, you can use a warehouse that is closer to your customers.
If your business has many locations but needs storage space, you can rent units at multiple facilities for a single monthly payment handled by a dedicated accounts manager. Renting self-storage facilities at numerous sites is an option for businesses with multiple offices.
They offer units in a diverse assortment of sizes
They provide individual storage rooms that are above 10 square feet in size, as well as large-scale warehousing that is over 1000 square feet in size.
It’s simple to go into your space
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- During their regular business hours, you are free to visit your unit whenever it best suits your needs.
- The loading and unloading of your warehouse will be much simpler if you take use of the forklift service, trolleys, and pallet trucks that many of their stores provide.
- Their loading bays include wide double doors that may be opened to provide access to their indoor units.
- Each of their locations is conveniently situated in close proximity to major roadways and rail networks.
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Safe, air-conditioned and indoor flats that offer ample space
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- Their retail locations are monitored by CCTV systems that record throughout the clock.
- The elimination of all dangers can be accomplished by installing fire alarms, burglar alarms, and pest management.
- You alone will have the power to decide who is permitted to enter your space and who is not.
It is simple to organise deliveries coming and going from your unit
The courteous staff at their store can act as your proxy to accept deliveries. There is no need for you to wait in to sign for deliveries because their team can sign for them and keep them safe until you arrive, so minimising the amount of time that your working day is disrupted. Their whole network of retail locations is equipped with DHL Service Points, which means that you can quickly and easily package and ship orders to your consumers directly from the location of your choice. Therefore, you will be able to have new goods delivered straight to your warehouse, and you will also be able to transmit orders directly to your clients from your unit.
Are you prepared to begin making use of commercial storage units?
Please give them a call, fill out their contact form, speak with them online, or come into your neighbourhood shop if you believe that your small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) could use some additional storage space and would want to learn more about how their warehouse spaces could work for you.
Their knowledgeable team member can assist you in determining which size of unit would be the most appropriate for your requirements, present you with an estimate that is free of charge, and assist you in making an informed decision without pressuring you to pick right then and there.
Why we selected Safestore?
Safestore is the perfect self-storage option for individuals who are seeking for facilities that are handy, easy to reach, and economical. Their safe and secure stores are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are outfitted with alerted devices in addition to having CCTV installed throughout the premises. Each and every Safestore location provides customers with adaptable payment choices, such as letting them pay one month in advance or benefiting from specialised long-term rental price reductions. In addition to offering some of the most affordable storage prices available on the market, their knowledgeable store consultants are always available to assist you in arranging the storage solution that is best suited to your specific requirements. Safestore can accommodate your storage needs regardless of whether you are a student seeking for extra space or a business professional in need of storage services on a larger scale.
