We live in an era where brick-and-mortar retail locations are declining while digital ecommerce storefronts like Amazon continue to rise, even dominating the shopping landscape. Yet there is one brick-and-mortar facet of ecommerce that is actually increasing in importance: your warehouse location.
Your warehouse already functions as a major player within your supply chain. But the geographic location of your warehouse, or network of warehouses, can make the impact of your warehouse even greater—so much that it affects your profitability, efficiency, company reputation, and more. We’ll call this the “Warehousing Services Near Me” effect. So why is your warehouse location so important?
What Makes “Warehousing Services Near Me” so Vital to Your Success
“Warehousing Services Near Me” Effect #1 - Better Distribution Efficiency
Think about it. If your inventory is in Seattle and all your customers are in Florida, it will take a lot longer for your product to reach your customers’ homes. In a world of increasingly faster shipping times, these customers would be less likely to order from you. That’s why strategically locating your warehouses closer to your customer base can lead to more efficient fulfillment and distribution. With faster shipping times, you’ll not only keep your customers happy, you may steal some away from your competitors, too.
“Warehousing Services Near Me” Effect #2 - Reduced Costs
An inconvenient, isolated warehouse location can make your supply chain expenses, well, more expensive. On the other hand, a strategically-placed warehouse close to customers and transportation routes can reduce your logistics costs substantially, from lower fuel costs thanks to shorter trips to less expensive transportation resources needed. And with reduced costs, you’re able to keep more of your profits, as well as pass on your cost savings to your customers, who may order more from you because your shipping costs are so low.
“Warehousing Services Near Me” Effect #3 - Resource & Infrastructure Access
Ideally, you don’t want to put your warehouse just anywhere that offers cheap land. Instead, your warehouse needs to be near resources. This starts with ensuring it’s near sufficient transportation infrastructure, from airports and railroads to waterways and interstate highways that aren’t constantly bogged down by traffic. If you utilize freight carriers, it’s also a good idea to be closer to their facilities so they can easily reach you. Additionally, you not only want your warehouse located close to talented, available labor, but you also want your workforce to be able to commute to your warehouse easily as well.
“Warehousing Services Near Me” Effect #4 - Adaptable Flexibility
Any ecommerce business owner who’s been at it for a while knows that customer demand can fluctuate unpredictably, even if you’ve tried to forecast it. And sometimes, factors like weather, labor shortages, and other unforeseen circumstances can disrupt your supply chain. That’s why a strategically located warehouse can help you flexibly adapt to these changes. If your warehouse is closer to your suppliers, you can modify inventory levels quickly when demand spikes occur. And if you’re close to infrastructure and your carrier networks, your back-up transport can reach you more easily if needed.
“Warehousing Services Near Me” Effect #5 - Sustainability
Modern consumer behavior values environmentally conscious brands and implement sustainable business practices. With that said, your warehouse location can influence your ability to “go green” in your supply chain. The right warehouse location ideally will help you cut down on emissions with shorter transportation routes, as well as provide eco-friendly alternatives to help you save on utilities and unnecessary waste.
“Warehousing Services Near Me” Effect #6 - Storage Requirements
While it may make sense to locate your warehouse in a large city for some of the reasons above, many cities may have limited space available (and extremely expensive real estate). Because of this, it’s important to think about your storage requirements when considering your warehouse location. Ideally, your chosen location should offer ample storage options (especially as you scale) and sit on affordable land, yet still be close enough to the resources we’ve already mentioned, as well as your customers.
The Easiest Way to Get the Best Warehouse Location for You
Let’s face it. Your warehouse location is a big deal. You may have already suspected this, which is why you possibly discovered this article by googling “warehousing services near me.” And you’re in luck, as you’ve just found the easiest way to get the best location options for your warehouse needs: Smart Warehousing.
As a nationwide 3PL, we offer over 12 million square feet of warehousing space in 38 strategically located warehouses across the US. That means you can meet customer demand by offering 1-2 day shipping when you partner with us. Contact us today to learn more.