For many businesses, running out of warehouse space feels like a straightforward problem: there is too much stock and not enough room. The obvious solution is to buy more racking. But is that always the right answer? Not necessarily.
Before investing in additional warehouse racking, it is worth taking a step back and looking at how your existing storage space is being used. In some warehouses, significant capacity can be recovered through a better layout, improved stock organisation or a more suitable racking configuration.
In other cases, however, the problem is genuine growth. If your stock volumes have increased, your product range has expanded or your operation has changed, your existing racking may simply no longer provide enough capacity.
So how do you decide whether to buy more warehouse racking or reorganise what you already have?
Start with the Problem, Not the Racking
The first mistake businesses can make is jumping straight to the equipment. Instead, start by asking why your warehouse feels full.
Are you carrying more stock than you used to? Are pallets being stored on the floor? Are some bays underused while others are overloaded? Have your product dimensions changed? Are slow-moving products taking up prime storage locations?
Your answers will help determine whether you have a capacity problem, a layout problem or a combination of both.
S.E.M.CO designs warehouse racking around the building, products, forklift operation and future growth plans, rather than treating every warehouse as though it requires the same solution. That distinction matters because adding more racking to an inefficient layout can simply create a larger version of the same problem.
When Reorganising Your Existing Warehouse Makes Sense
There are several situations where reorganising your current warehouse could release useful capacity.
You Are Not Using the Full Height of Your Warehouse
Look upwards. Warehouse floor space is expensive, but the vertical space above your existing stock can often represent a significant storage opportunity. If your current racking stops well below the available building height, there may be an opportunity to introduce additional storage levels or redesign the system to make better use of the vertical footprint.
This needs to be properly assessed. Racking height, load capacity, building constraints, forklift requirements and access all need to be considered before changes are made. The objective isn’t simply to make racking taller. It is to create usable storage capacity that works safely with your operation.
Your Fast-Moving Stock Is in the Wrong Place
Warehouse efficiency isn’t just about how much stock you can store. It is also about how quickly and easily your team can access it. If your most frequently picked products are located in inconvenient positions, employees and forklifts may be travelling further than necessary throughout the day.
Reorganising your stock by frequency of movement can reduce unnecessary travel and make better use of strategically positioned storage locations. Your warehouse should support the way your business operates, rather than forcing your operation to work around an outdated layout.
You Have Too Many Different Storage Methods
Over time, warehouses evolve. A business might start with Pallet Racking, then add shelving, floor storage, temporary pallets and improvised areas as stock levels increase.
Eventually, the warehouse can become a collection of different storage methods rather than one coherent system. A storage review can identify whether certain products would be better suited to Pallet Racking, Cantilever Racking, Vertical Storage Racking or Widespan Shelving.
S.E.M.CO supplies a range of heavy-duty storage systems, including Pallet Racking, Cantilever Racking, Vertical Storage Racking, Pigeon-Hole Racking and Widespan Shelving. Using the right system for the right product can make a significant difference to how effectively available space is used.
When Buying More Racking Is the Better Option
Sometimes the answer really is simple: you need more capacity. If your stock volumes continue to grow, reorganising your existing warehouse will only take you so far.
Your Stock Levels Have Permanently Increased
If you used to store 500 pallets but now regularly need capacity for 800, rearranging the same racking may not solve the problem. A proper capacity assessment can determine how many additional pallet locations or storage positions you actually need. This can prevent businesses from making either of two costly mistakes:
- Buying too little racking and having to expand again shortly afterwards.
- Buying significantly more capacity than they are likely to need.
The ideal solution should account for both current requirements and anticipated growth.
You Are Using the Floor as Overflow Storage
Pallets, materials and products sitting on the warehouse floor are often a sign that your storage system is reaching its limits. Floor storage can consume valuable operating space and may make movement around the warehouse more difficult. It can also indicate that your racking system is not providing sufficient locations for the quantity or type of stock you are handling. Rather than continually finding temporary places for stock, it may be time to review your permanent storage requirements.
You Have Expanded Your Product Range
A business can outgrow its racking without dramatically increasing its total stock volume. For example, adding hundreds of new SKUs can create a requirement for more individual storage locations. If accessibility is important, simply increasing storage density may not be the answer. The right solution needs to balance capacity, selectivity and access.
Could a Different Type of Racking Solve the Problem?
One of the most important questions is whether your existing racking is actually appropriate for what you store. Different products create different storage requirements.
Palletised Goods
Pallet Racking is a versatile solution for warehouses handling palletised products and can be configured around different operational requirements. S.E.M.CO offers adjustable, narrow-aisle and drive-in configurations among its Pallet Racking solutions.
Long and Bulky Products
If you store timber, steel, pipes, panels or other long products, Conventional Pallet Racking may not be the most efficient option.
Cantilever Racking is specifically designed for long and bulky materials, providing open access for loading and unloading.
Long Products Stored Upright
Vertical Storage Racking can be particularly useful where floor space is limited and products such as timber, metal or plastic need to be stored vertically.
Smaller Products and Hand-Picked Stock
Widespan Shelving can provide flexible storage for cartons, boxes and hand-picked items where pallet racking would be unnecessary or inefficient.
The point is that more racking is not always the answer. The right racking is.
Don't Forget the Warehouse Layout
Before adding new bays, look at the entire warehouse and consider the following:
- Goods-in and goods-out areas
- Forklift routes
- Pedestrian routes
- Picking areas
- Loading areas
- Fire exits and access routes
- Doorways and structural columns
- Stock movement
- Available building height
- Future expansion
A layout that looks efficient on paper may not work operationally if forklifts cannot move efficiently or frequently accessed products are positioned poorly.
S.E.M.CO offers site assessments to measure and advise on appropriate layouts, with its in-house design team producing layout drawings and load calculations as part of its racking process.
Consider the Cost of Doing Nothing
It is tempting to postpone a storage project because the warehouse is technically still functioning.
But “functioning” and “working efficiently” are not the same thing. If employees are constantly moving stock to find products, forklifts are travelling unnecessarily, pallets are stored on the floor or temporary storage areas are appearing throughout the warehouse, inefficiency is already costing the business. The question is therefore not simply:
“How much will new racking cost?”
It should also be:
“How much is our current storage arrangement costing us?”
That broader calculation can change the investment decision considerably.
What About Safety?
Any decision to alter or extend an existing racking system should be approached carefully.
Racking is a structural storage system, not simply a collection of shelves. Changes to configuration, loading or operating conditions need to be properly considered.
The Health and Safety Executive advises that storage equipment should be inspected regularly according to operating conditions, with damage reported promptly. HSE guidance also recommends inspection by a technically competent person at intervals of no more than 12 months.
This is another reason why a professional assessment is valuable before making changes.
So, Should You Buy More Racking?
The answer depends on your warehouse. If your current system is poorly organised, underutilised or no longer matched to your stock, reorganising may release significant capacity. If your business has genuinely outgrown its existing storage, additional or redesigned racking may be the better long-term investment. And in many cases, the best solution will be a combination of both. A warehouse storage review can help identify:
- How much capacity you currently have
- How much capacity you are actually using
- Where space is being wasted
- Whether your current racking suits your stock
- Whether your layout can be improved
- Whether additional racking is required
- What your future storage requirements may look like
Need More Warehouse Storage Capacity?
S.E.M.CO is a UK manufacturer of heavy-duty warehouse and yard racking, providing bespoke storage solutions from design and manufacture through to installation. With more than 40 years of experience in the racking and shelving industry, S.E.M.CO works with businesses across a wide range of sectors.
If your warehouse is running out of space, don’t assume that buying more racking is automatically the answer.
Talk to S.E.M.CO about your current storage requirements and arrange a site assessment.
A better understanding of your space today could help you create a warehouse that works more efficiently tomorrow.
Request a quote or book a site visit with S.E.M.CO to discuss your warehouse racking requirements.