To support a massive warehouse expansion and improve safety for a national women’s apparel retailer, WPSS assisted with deploying 5,100 sections of Deluxe Industrial Shelving with custom engineering to create a safer, more efficient “Active Pick” area that met strict timelines and boosted supply chain reliability.
The Challenge: Expanding Operations with a Focus on “What If” Safety Scenarios
A leading national specialty retailer of women’s and girls’ apparel needed to significantly expand its warehouse operations. The expansion required a designated “Active Pick” area to ensure fast-moving items were readily stocked and accessible.
To execute this, the retailer partnered with The Morrison Company, a material handling integrator known for using “Game Theory” and “What If” scenarios to predict potential pitfalls. Working alongside a top supply chain consulting firm, Morrison identified two critical safety and durability concerns in standard shelving designs:
- Improper Use: Employees often use lower shelves as ladders to reach higher items, leading to damaged equipment and safety risks.
- Ergonomic Hazards: Standard bottom shelves can be crushed by employees repeatedly stepping on them or create tripping hazards in high-traffic zones.
The retailer needed a solution that was not only efficient but robust enough to withstand real-world warehouse behavior.
The Solution: Engineered Deluxe Industrial Open Shelving
Morrison turned to Western Pacific Storage Solutions (WPSS) to engineer a custom solution using Deluxe Industrial Open Shelving.
Engineering for Safety and Durability
The WPSS and Morrison engineering teams addressed the “What If” scenarios with specific design modifications:
- Heavy-Duty Steel Shelves: Recognizing that employees might step on lower levels, WPSS specified 20-gauge steel for the two lowest shelves throughout the warehouse. This involved upgrading 11,000 of the 44,000 total shelves to ensure they could handle the abuse of being used as makeshift steps.
- Optimized Profile: To further protect the equipment and workers, engineers modified the shelving profile. They placed the bottom shelf directly on the warehouse floor, eliminating the gap that often leads to crushing damage from foot traffic.
- Conveyor Integration: The design included 5,100 sections of Deluxe shelving engineered to support an overhead conveyor system directly from the top of the sections, maximizing vertical utility.
Results: Ahead of Schedule and Error-Free
The collaboration delivered immediate operational success for the national retailer.
| Outcome | Benefit to Client |
| Enhanced Safety | The use of 20-gauge steel on lower levels created a safer environment, mitigating risks from employee behavior. |
| Project Speed | WPSS engineering and manufacturing speed allowed Morrison to finish the project two weeks ahead of schedule. |
| Operational Flexibility | The Deluxe Industrial Shelving allows end users to rearrange shelf locations in 1” increments with compression clips, offering ongoing flexibility for changing inventory. |
| Supply Chain Reliability | The robust design ensures the “Active Pick” area remains operational without downtime for repairs or safety incidents. |
By partnering with experienced integrators like The Morrison Company and responsive manufacturers like WPSS, the retailer achieved a warehouse upgrade that prioritized both efficiency and the safety of their workforce. Ready to work on your next project? Big or small, WPSS has experts ready to assist! We provide layout guidance, spec sheets, and recommend best-practice clearances to ensure an efficient and space saving design. Contact us today for a quote.