Make space in the retail warehouse for holiday return shipments

April 10, 2020 8:50 am

Warehouses are the busiest during and just after the holiday season, with a high volume of shipments going out and then coming back in. Holiday returns being sent back to the warehouse can be a total pain to deal with and customers expect returns to be handled faster than original shipments. Because business managers know this is the busiest time of year, they can prepare accordingly by directing the warehouse manager to have the infrastructure to help make the holiday return shipments run a lot smoother. For example, allocating space or metal storage shelves specifically for returns can make the entire process a lot less painful. Here are a couple of ways to prepare for the post-holiday return madness.

Allocate Space for Returns
The most helpful thing to do to support the returns management team is to create enough space to handle the influx of items that will need to be sorted. A sufficient amount of metal storage shelves will avoid unnecessary delays in processing. This space should be clear and accessible to ensure there’s enough room for the traffic going in and out. For larger warehouses, it might be useful to create lanes designed to steer traffic placing items back on industrial metal shelving. Further, clear policies and boundaries should be set up regarding this area so all employees have an understanding of its purpose. All team members should be trained before holiday returns begin by ensuring employees are aware of the specific areas designated for returns on metal storage shelves.

Prepare Return Processes
Business managers can generally gauge what types of items will most likely be sent back to the warehouses to sit on their metal storage shelves. This information can be passed down to warehouse managers to help them prepare in terms of having the correct equipment and documentation required to ship the return back to its original location. Besides clearing the necessary space to deal with returns, employees can organize inventory so that these returns are on Industrial storage shelves that are closer to where the packing stations are located.

The vast amount of returns that get sent to a warehouse require a well-organized system for maximizing storage usage. By making the most of the space with proper storage solutions, a retail warehouse can be made holiday ready. Western Pacific Storage Solutions can help warehouses with industrial metal shelving for storing their items. View their website to find out more about their industrial storage shelves for retail spaces.

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