The e-commerce and
3PL market: speed and flexibility

E-commerce and 3PL (third party logistics) warehouses face a unique set of challenges due to the dynamic nature of online shopping and the pressure to deliver a fast and efficient customer experience. Warehouse racking needs to be adaptable to fulfil orders from various channels, including online stores, physical stores, and marketplaces. 3PL companies need flexible storage systems and processes which work flawlessly while at the same time keeping costs low.

By addressing these challenges and embracing new technologies, e-commerce and 3PL warehouses can ensure a smooth and efficient customer experience, contributing directly to a company's success in the competitive online retail landscape.

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Challenges facing the e-commerce and 3PL industry’s warehouses

Meeting High Order Fulfilment Speeds

Customers today expect fast deliveries, often within a day or two. Warehouses need efficient picking, packing, and shipping processes to meet these ever-increasing speed demands. 3PL warehouses manage inventory for multiple clients, often with diverse product types and varying fulfilment speed requirements. They need efficient systems to handle high order volumes while meeting individual client needs.

Optimising Warehouse racking Space for SKU Diversity

E-commerce businesses often offer a wide variety of products, leading to a high number of SKUs (Stock Keeping Units). Warehouses need flexible storage solutions to accommodate this diversity while ensuring easy access for picking and packing.

Handling fluctuations in demand

E-commerce sales can fluctuate significantly due to seasonal trends, marketing campaigns, and flash sales. Warehouses need to be adaptable, scaling operations up and down to meet these fluctuations without incurring unnecessary costs. 3PL warehouses also need to be adaptable to handle surges in demand.

Reverse logistics and returns

Managing returns is a growing concern in e-commerce. Warehouses need efficient processes for receiving, inspecting, and restocking returned items to minimise disruptions and costs.

Solutions from stow for the e-commerce and 3PL market

Overcoming these challenges requires a multi-pronged approach: Optimising layout, implementing zoning, and utilising vertical space can significantly improve storage efficiency. And, while upfront costs exist, automation can significantly improve picking, packing, and shipping efficiency, reducing labour requirements and potential errors.

stow offers a wide range of storage solutions for e-commerce activities that fit to your storage and picking needs – whether full pallets, cases, boxes, totes, garments, furniture, or more.

stow can also design storage solutions that suit the complexities of 3PLs, typically catering for a wide range of products. We help you with optimum space utilisation, scalability of storage levels and providing fast and easy access to stored goods. With our solutions, 3PL companies can position themselves to deliver exceptional service to their clients, optimise costs, and thrive in the competitive logistics landscape.

The stow e-commerce
shelving system

With our e-commerce shelving system, we can adapt to all your needs: Special shelf sizes? No problem! High loads for multitier installations? We are ready! Hanging garments? This is a standard for stow!

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stow Racking - Industrial shelving systems

Pallet racking for heavier loads

stow’s PalRack® system consists of a full range of basic components and accessories to fulfil all of your requirements. The system is designed for the optimised storage of goods of all sizes and weights.
Solutions for special pallet sizes? Furniture storage with so-called “corlettes”? Flexible picking levels? FIFO racks? We are offering the full range!

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Miniload

Are you talking to your system integrator about a fully automated warehouse? No problem: we are offering racks for totes and cartons operated by cranes. stow has built large installations with most system integrators, so these are completely adaptable to any type of AS/RS-handling device, equipped with telescopic forks, with side grips or with an extracting system.

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