The UK is home to some of Europe’s largest fulfilment centres, industrial sites and processing depots. From fulfilment centres for some of the world’s global brands to distribution centres in major logistics hubs.
Warehouse Racking Systems
As consumer behaviour changes, so do the warehousing needs of organisations and logistics firms. We’re experiencing a seismic shift in the way that customers purchase goods, and this means that warehouse requirements are now often omni-channel. In fact, warehouses now often need to handle orders from a variety of sources, such as online, from brick-and-mortar stores and other similar channels.
Consumers are also now expecting more from the brands and organisations they buy from. Fast delivery, changes in order patterns and larger order volumes all put pressure on the type of warehousing needed.
The impact of this has meant that warehouses needed to adapt. One of the largest changes we’ve seen is in the size of warehouses and distribution centres. Larger and more flexible locations are becoming increasingly common in order to meet the needs of the contemporary customer.
The UK's Largest Warehouse
Amazon Fulfilment Centre
Location: Dunfermline, Scotland
Amazon has a number of warehouses located throughout Britain, but their Fulfilment Centre in Scotland is their largest. In fact, it’s one of the largest warehouses in the UK.
At a colossal 1 million square feet, the site is equivalent to 14 football pitches in size. It’s here that Amazon pack and deliver a significant amount of their retail orders and part of how they’re able to offer such quick delivery on many of their items. During busy periods, it’s reported that Amazon handle a sale every 64 seconds, which goes a little way in explaining why they need such large warehouse sites.
The site in Dunfermline employs over 1000 permanent staff, with temporary employees drafted in during the busier seasonal periods (like Christmas or Black Friday). There are lots of advantages associated with wide aisle pallet racking, aside from the simple way in which stored goods can be accessed. This includes its innate durability, which comes from the sturdy materials used in the construction of the racks, as well as the straightforward way in which they are designed. If you are looking for warehouse pallet racking systems that will stand the test of time, this is definitely the type to consider first and foremost.
Size: 1 million sq. ft
Our Favourite Warehouse
Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse
Location: Liverpool, England
The Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse is iconic. Standing 125 feet (38 m) high, the 14-storey building was at the time of its construction in 1901 reported to be the world's largest brick building with a floor-area of 150,000 sq.m. or 1,614,586 sq.ft. Its construction absorbed 27 million bricks, 30,000 panes of glass and 8,000 tons of steel. It could accommodate 70,000 hogsheads of tobacco, each weighing 453 kg (1,000 lbs) some of which were stored for up to 15 years before being bought or collected by cigarette manufacturers.
Rum and tobacco imported from exotic locations were stored here in great brick buildings, the size the world had never seen before. The docks at the mouth of the Mersey River, including Stanley Dock, pioneered modern dock technology, transport and port management.
The dock is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a key heritage asset for Liverpool city.
Size: 115 thousand sq. ft