Can’t find available warehouse space? Turn to a 3PL

If you’re struggling to find available warehouse space for your products, you’re not alone. Space availability is at an all-time low as both B2C and B2B companies compete for facilities across the country. This includes small companies as well as  monoliths like Amazon and Walmart. In this article, we’ll take a look at the current warehousing landscape and what you can do to secure storage for your products.

 

Available warehouse space at a glance

available warehouse spaceA recent article in CNBC looks at the current warehousing landscape in the U.S. The situation is summed up succinctly by Chris Caton of Prologis, one of the country’s largest logistics real estate firms. “Vacancy rates in the U.S. are four-and-a-half percent, basically 40-year lows. There has never been less available to lease, at a time when customers really, really need it.”

This low availability is due to a number of factors, including the rise of eCommerce that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, competition for warehouse space among giant retailers, and supply chain disruptions. For example, delays at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have led importers to spread shipments out to other ports across the country. As imports have spread to so many ports, the need for warehousing space near those ports has dramatically increased. For example, demand for warehousing space in and near the Port of Savannah (GA) has increased by 10 million square feet over the past year.

Capacity is also tight in inland markets. According to real estate services firm JLL, the demand for industrial real estate in Columbus, OH is expected to surge by 61% from 2020 to 2021.

 

How you can secure warehouse space with a 3PL

So, if you’re looking to buy or lease warehousing space in the U.S., it is not a buyer’s market. But you do have alternatives to buying or leasing yourself – you can partner with a 3PL provider that already has the warehousing space you need. Many 3PLs will offer one or both of the following warehousing services.

With shared (or “public”) warehousing, the 3PL’s warehouse space is split among several warehouse ‘tenants’ that share space, equipment and resources. This model is flexible in that your company can use as much or little space and resources as it requires and scale up or down over time. The pricing is flexible as well, as you pay only for the space and services your operation uses.

With contract (or “dedicated”) warehousing, you are contracting for a fixed amount of warehouse space and resources for a set amount of time at an agreed upon rate. This model typically involves a 3PL provider dedicating a full building of its own to your operations – and performing all warehousing operations on your behalf.

Working with a 3PL can provide you with the warehouse space your business needs, while also providing the logistics expertise and capabilities that your operations require.

 

Turn to Kanban for available warehouse space on the East Coast

With over 1 million square feet of warehousing space in Eastern North Carolina, Kanban Logistics has the warehouse space to support your supply chain on the East Coast. We offer both shared and contract warehousing services from our 7-facility logistics campus.

We also can offer a unique build-to-suit opportunity with a pad already in place. Located adjacent to our existing 175,000-sq-ft distribution center in Rocky Mount, NC, this new facility can be tailored to your precise needs. You can (1) build a combined factory/distribution center, with Kanban operating the DC, (2) lease and have Kanban act as your 3PL provider, or (3) build and operate the full facility yourself.

To more about the ways Kanban Logistics can help you secure available warehouse space, contact Kanban today.

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