Most businesses asking for warehouse space don’t need a project on that scale. But the news illustrates a question worth asking before you request a quote: what does the warehouse need to do for your stock? Two prices can look similar until you discover that one covers space alone and the other includes some of the work required to receive, manage or dispatch your goods.

Start with the stock you actually need to store

Tell the warehouse how much stock you expect to hold on a typical week and how high that could rise at busy times. Include the unit you’re counting in, whether that’s pallets, cartons or individual items, and provide dimensions and weights for anything oversized or unusually heavy.

A business that usually holds 40 pallets might receive another 30 ahead of a promotion. If the incoming goods arrive before the existing stock goes out, the warehouse needs room for 70 pallets during that overlap. Share the expected arrival and dispatch dates so the provider can explain how it would handle the extra volume and how it would be priced.

Be specific about storage and handling

Describe what you’re storing and whether the goods can be stacked. Flag any fragile items, stock that needs to be kept separate, or requirements for temperature, batch tracking or expiry dates. If there’s a particular condition your goods must be kept in, state it clearly and ask the provider to confirm whether it can meet it.

Also explain how the goods will arrive. A delivery of labelled pallets ready to go into storage is a different job from a shipment that needs to be counted, sorted or relabelled first. If you need that extra work, include it in the brief so the quote reflects what will happen when the stock arrives.

Explain what needs to go out and how often

Two businesses can store the same number of pallets and need very different services. One might send out full pallets twice a month. The other might need individual items picked, packed and dispatched every day. Tell the warehouse how many orders you expect, what a typical order looks like and whether volumes change during promotions or seasonal peaks.

If timing matters, say when orders need to leave and what stock information your team needs to see. For example, you might want to know what is available to sell and what has already been allocated to orders. Ask how those updates would be shared and how often.

Compare the same work across each quote

Give every provider the same example of a typical month, including expected receipts, average stock held and outbound orders. Ask them to show what’s included and what’s priced separately. Depending on the arrangement, that could include receiving, storage, picking, packing materials, dispatch, returns or transport.

Then ask what the same quote would look like in a peak month. That comparison helps you see where the price changes as your stock or order volumes grow.

How SMA Worldwide helps with warehousing

SMA Worldwide offers secure storage for pallets and individual items, with short and long term options. The team can also discuss pick and pack, fulfilment and onward transport where you need them. Share what you’re storing, how long you expect it to stay and what needs to happen between arrival and dispatch. SMA can then discuss which services suit your operation and what the proposed arrangement would cover.

Requesting a warehouse quote? Contact SMA Worldwide with your typical and peak stock volumes, storage requirements and dispatch schedule.