You’d have had to have been living on another planet over the past twelve months to not experience the ‘Covid effect’ on every facet of our lives - but its impact on retail is significant.
Lockdown has provided the catalyst for change in retail. Online purchases grew by 46% in 2020 – a real sign of the times. Good or bad, it’s a revolution and that always equals change.
“With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the value of online retail sales in the UK is estimated to reach just below 100 billion British pounds in 2020.”
[Statista.com]
This bears out through the ownership changes of some of our beloved high street brands. Notably the online giant Asos is set to take over TopShop which will certainly mean the end of its high street presence, diverting TopShop sales to Asos’ successful online business model. Boohoo is also moving in on other well-known brands such as Debenhams, Burton, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins – but it’s likely to be in name only and not their shops.
So why is this relevant to a business specialising in instant buildings?
"Vast motorway sheds no longer as useful"
You will have seen the giant ‘sheds’ on the main motorway networks – well these are quickly becoming an outdated mode of storage – as companies react to the changing requirements of the UK’s business and domestic customers. As online takes a firmer hold, so the distribution network needs to adapt.
A larger number of smaller storage units are needed
We are working with companies who need a higher number of smaller buildings, closer to customer destinations, ready for couriers to complete the final bit of the delivery journey. It makes no sense for companies of any size to take on inflexible leases on enormous, traditional warehouses when the future is uncertain and there is a much better solution available.
We enjoy responding to market changes and we have seen a new trend towards the more flexible offering we are able to provide. As our instant buildings can be delivered directly to where they’re needed, without any minimum term, we are finding that customers are rejecting the idea of traditional sheds.
Flexible, no risk solutions
The change in how we are operating as a nation and the trend towards minimising risks (especially as we don’t know how things will pan out over the next year or so) means that customers are very keen to take on risk-free, flexible solutions to their storage needs, particularly if they need several smaller storage units.
Our smallest unit is just 25 square metres
We can install, relocate and remove buildings very quickly and they stand on literally any type of ground. You just don’t get this level of flex with a traditional storage building. You can rent a Smart-Space building month to month, buy outright with guaranteed buy-back options - literally any option to suit your business model.
Our team can help with any aspect of storage solution. Our buildings will take your business closer to your customers and help complete the logistics process, whether you need 25 square metres or 100,000!
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