For many retailers and business owners, the period from September to December is a busy one. Halloween is barely over before spooky stock is packed away to make room for advent calendars, tinsel, Christmas lights and mince pies - not forgetting the fireworks for bonfire night!
The majority of online and high street retailers will see a huge increase in demand for seasonal products and, if your business model is seasonally specific (i.e only selling Christmas goods), then you will be working hard and smart to sell as much of that stock as possible before demand for it decreases significantly in January.
As a seasonal business owner, whether you operate solely online or have a physical store in the form of a ‘pop-up’ shop, you are going to need space to store your stock. No business wants to be spending money on permanent storage space if it is only needed for a quarter of the year and, unlike retailers that operate all year round, you may not have the luxury of dedicated warehouse space.
Self-storage provides a solution
Self-storage provides a great affordable and temporary solution for any business looking to increase stock levels during the festive period.
- A well-managed self storage unit offers a cleaner, dryer and more secure environment to house stock than the average garage.
- All utilities are included in the storage rental cost, there are no extra business rates or other charges for power/light/heat so you can budget effectively.
- Vehicular access for loading and deliveries from a self storage compound will be good - storage units that are more centrally located, where you are unable to drive right up to your unit, will often provide trolleys and trucks to assist.
- There is no long-term commitment when using self-storage, many self storage units will be available from as little as 1 month.
- Space is available at short notice and can be given up simply with short notice.
- If you find you need to increase or decrease the space you need, this is easily arranged and will be priced accordingly.
- Some self storage facilities can provide assistance with lifting on request (ask at the point of purchase!), nearly all will supply pallet trucks and trolleys, some may even provide packing supplies and boxes.
- If you are having stock delivered, many self storage providers will have supervised hours where someone will be able to sign to accept the delivery (if this is a requirenment then check this before you purchase).
- Many storage facilities will offer 24 hr access and tend to be in accessible locations.
Flexible space
One of the best advantages of using self storage to store seasonal stock is the range of sizes available - anything from as little as 30 cubic feet to 1600 cubic feet. Our handy storage guide provides more information if you are not sure what size you might need! Many self storage providers are flexible and used as short term storage solutions, so if you find you need more or less storage during this period, speak with the provider who will be happy to accommodate.
Storage Insurance from Store Insure
Self storage insurance is now mostly a compulsory requirement when leasing self storage. If you are an individual or business, any self storage provider that does not request storage insurance is not worth bothering with (red flag!!). Many self storage providers offer insurance with the storage agreement, however this is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ option and is often not suitable for businesses. In fact, much of the insurance which is offered by storage providers tends to be poor value for money in comparison to insurance from a specialist provider like Store Insure.
Here at Store Insure we have a specific Business Storage Insurance policy, with cover ranging from 1 month to 18 months. Store Insure can also provide cover for a wide variety of storage types including external metal containers so keeping your stock protected is easy. Storage Insurance from Store Insure will also cover your goods whilst they are in transit to and from the storage facility. Other risks which can be included, depending on your chosen storage type, are loss or damage from moth and vermin.
Your stock should always be insured for the full replacement value – if that is likely to fluctuate over time we would recommend maintaining your storage insurance cover at the maximum level you will require. This is likely to be more cost effective than taking out multiple shorter policies to take into account differing stock levels.
For more information on Storage Insurance for businesses, what’s covered or to get a quote - visit our website