A neat and organized storage space ensures you can find customers’ merchandise requests with ease and efficiently count and restock inventory in your storeroom. Use these five stockroom organization and storage tips to optimize your retail space!

The size of your retail stockroom plays one of the most important roles in its layout. Not everyone has ample room for storage, but there are plenty of opportunities to save space even with a small back room and limited floor space.

Scan your surroundings and consider areas that you can get creative with using shelving, hanging racks, and other vertical storage solutions.

1. Storage and Labeling Systems

Consider what organization methods will be best for your business’ workflow:

What cataloging system will you use? (i.e., alphabetical, department, etc.) You may want to start by storing popular items near the front of the room for easy access. We also recommend grouping smaller merchandise into storage bins to avoid getting separated or lost.

Will you locate items via barcodes or easily identifiable labels? Either way, signage is a must. Make your retail stockroom as efficient as possible by guiding employees to categorized inventory sections. If your storeroom has ample square footage or you have a high level of inventory, try creating a color-coded map!

Is your inventory made up of primarily large products? Or do you have a combination of sizes and weights? It’s best to use your floor space for heavy items to make sure they are easily accessible and minimize the potential for injury. The reverse is true for smaller, more lightweight items. Try utilizing overhead space by installing hanging racks for clothing or storing merchandise on higher shelving units.

2. Invest in Storage Solutions and Shelving

You can maximize space by installing a combination of storage solutions in your stockroom. High shelves and wall-mounted units are perfect space savers that allow you to utilize your vertical space in an organized system. It’s not often that we consider how functional the space above us can be for storage. Take advantage of high ceilings or extra overhead space in your storeroom with automated overhead storage containers for overstock merchandise, high volumes of specific inventory, or infrequently used company tools.

3. Protect Your Merchandise

Theft is a looming issue for retailers everywhere, especially for small businesses. Even if you are very cautious about storing your valuable merchandise away from prying eyes and sticky fingers on the sales floor, the risk of theft after hours is high. A secure storage solution, such as an overhead security cage, can keep your most valuable merchandise in the storeroom, off the floor, and safe from theft.

4. Keep Your Storeroom Well Lit

Avoid the pitfalls that poorly lit storerooms can cause, like employee injury, product damage, and productivity loss. Quality lighting provides bright and clear visibility to you and your employees, allowing for safe and easy navigation throughout the stockroom.

5. Enforce Cleanliness

Lastly, it’s essential to keep the storage space in your retail store neat and clean! Even a perfectly laid out and organized stockroom can’t function well if it’s in disarray. Ensure your staff is trained on proper stockroom management and understand the flow of your storage area. Schedule a regular cleaning and organization day and get your employees involved by asking for suggestions from the people who interact with your stockroom daily!

Stockroom organization is essential for any e-commerce or retail business. Keep your employees safe and the sales flowing by optimizing every inch of your storage space. Contact Lift and Store today to learn how our exceptional storage solutions can turn your stockroom into an efficiency powerhouse!