Warehouse Exchange, which was released in 2017 as a new additional feature to the membership of the long running freight exchange, Returnloads.net, offers a completely free service for companies with storage spaces available to advertise to a wider audience both within and outside of the warehousing industry.
Initially, when launched, this new section started from scratch with no storage space available and no WX members, but over time with innovation: a significant milestone has been hit , with storage space across all warehouses on the site now amounting to over 100 million SQ FT available directly from the 4,429 members of the Warehouse Exchange.
WX (Warehouse Exchange) offers fantastic opportunities for those with warehouse space to advertise their availability and for warehouse operators to get in touch with others within the industry as well as those requiring storage from outside the industry who need to store goods.The initial enquiry is made through the ‘make a storage enquiry’ feature which, by completing this simple form, it allows companies to make a storage enquiry, which is then alerted to warehouses within a radius of that enquiry. Thus becoming the bridge between storage facilities and the placement of goods.
For some members who now use the service on a regular basis, it has also become the ultimate directory for finding valued storage space. Warehouse Exchange has already become the leading directory of warehousing within the UK, making members facilities visible to a much wider market of UK companies and companies worldwide who are looking for storage within the UK.
Warehousing during COVID-19 faces unforeseen pressure
At this moment, the COVID-19 pandemic is having an astronomical impact on economies across the world, in which many businesses are finding themselves in severe difficulties, or at worst, at risk of closure. In logistics as with many other industries, this is a significant blow. There is an uncertainty week-by-week as to what kind of supply and demand could be required across the industry and which types of businesses will be open to receive goods.
For example, due to the closure of many garden centres, DIY stores, Builders Merchants and many construction sites across the country, warehousing facilities such as The Logistics Terminal within the Port of Tilbury who operate over 400,000 sq ft of warehouses are rapidly filling up with building material and forest products such as timber and plywood which are still arriving on vessels from around the world.
Luke Brown, Operational Manager at TLT said ‘’We are exceptionally busy with vessels arriving which would have been loaded months ago in places like South America, however a lot of product is now building up as the clients they would normally be delivered to are currently closed, so we are currently looking at taking on short term space to cope with the situation. We have found WX invaluable in such circumstances as it gives us a real connection to other warehouse and handling companies who have spare capacity and can share resources'’
By using both Returnloads and the Warehouse Exchange - businesses can find an ideal solution during this current crisis. In which they can continue to find work, move and store goods and advertise storage space during a crisis which is set to have many implications for businesses. As the Warehouse Exchange continues to grow, so will the opportunities for firms to maximise their profits by using this resourceful tool during these difficult times and for the challenges that will follow.
Returnloads saw the need from members who were searching for ways to find an easier means of getting in touch with those who could store goods and to those companies who were looking for extra space themselves. Many storage providers would contact Returnloads directly asking if members had any goods that would need space and if they would consider using one of their facilities.
Noticing the need from both ends of the industry, similarly to finding back loads through Returnloads.net - introduced this platform to mediate their needs on behalf of members as well as any of new businesses that were interested in taking advantage of the service through the site.
Members, along with anyone else who would find WX of interest, now have a direct link to a huge amount of space available for storing their goods and meeting each and every company's needs and requirements through the advanced matching system already known in the industry within the Returnloads platform.
By simply searching for the storage spaces available in their area, those who need a warehouse space can use the directory to see the warehouses available and what facilities those warehouses offer within their radius. They can contact those facilities immediately with resourceful support and directly handle any questions they could have with either ourselves, or the provider regarding their own warehouse facility and if they feel they could meet the individual requirements.
For warehouse providers, the site offers a great opportunity to monitor and keep track of spaces available and fill those spaces which would’ve been wasted otherwise. For warehousing, this maximises profits and ensures that these facilities continue to operate at their maximum capacity, even at a time of crisis.
If you have not yet joined the Warehouse Exchange, then take a look at www.returnloads.net and click on Warehouse Exchange. It is free to join and once you have put in details of your warehouse and the facilities you offer you will start to receive enquiries through email alerts when other companies complete the ‘Storage Enquiry Form’ which is advertised online. You will only get notifications of enquiries in your area of the country, so no spam or alerts that are not of interest.
The Return Loads matching system will automatically match your facilities with the requests that continually appear, and if your own storage facility is at full capacity and you need extra space then you simply fill in the free ‘Storage Enquiry Form’ at https://www.returnloads.net/make-space-enquiry/ and you will start to receive details of availability and quotations for storage.
The world is coming together not only for individuals through Social networks but for business as well through platforms such as Returnloads.net and Warehouse Exchange where communities and industries can work smartly together combining resources and controlling costs. Once this current Coronavirus pandemic is over and we find the world of work has changed forever we are likely to find that networking through platforms becomes more important than ever. The future is upon us and business needs to adapt or like in the past those who do not accept change will not survive.