SpanTrack Lane Carton Flow Rollers
Efficient, durable, and dependable, SpanTrack Lane carton flow rollers drop into existing structures to create the ultimate carton flow rack system for manufacturing facilities and order picking operations.
The warehouse and fulfillment landscape has been in a steady state of flux in recent years. Supply chain disruptions and a surge in online shopping — both enhanced by the pandemic but continuing even today — have called for new warehouse optimization strategies. Labor shortages have created new challenges, while technological advancements have brought new opportunities.
Through it all, warehouse managers have had to adapt quickly and think proactively to keep pace with the changes. And, as we look toward another year, signs point to more of the same.
The rush of eCommerce orders will continue to press fulfillment centers toward new ways of organizing their warehouses, and data will need to be at the heart of all decisions.
What does this mean for your warehouse? Let’s dive into the biggest 2025 supply chain trends so you can prepare to face them head-on.
Looking Back: Key Supply Chain Trends of 2024
Before we glimpse ahead to supply chain predictions for 2025, let’s look back at what played out in the months leading up to it. In 2024, we saw several warehouse fulfillment trends in play:
- Rapid eCommerce growth caused fulfillment pressures: In 2024, warehouses were heavily impacted by the continued expansion of eCommerce and its reshaping of consumer expectations for delivery speed. Many facilities were forced to rethink their order fulfillment strategies to handle high order volumes.
- AI and automation gained momentum: Labor shortages were a major theme in 2024, but they were met with a renewed focus on integrating lean principles throughout fulfillment centers. Technologies like AI and automation proved vital for creating more efficient operations.
- Sustainability initiatives expanded: As consumer demand for sustainability grew, companies continued adopting greener practices. Warehouses that implemented durable, long-lasting equipment saw reductions both in waste and operational costs.
- Higher volume increased space constraints: In 2024, warehouses faced challenges with space optimization due to increased SKUs and product variants. Businesses turned to more space-efficient storage solutions to maximize capacity within existing footprints.
As we’ll explore below, many of these same supply chain trends will continue to shape warehouse fulfillment strategies in 2025.
1. The Continued Growth of eCommerce and Omnichannel Fulfillment
eCommerce has taken a front seat in retail sales in recent years, and that trend will continue in 2025. eCommerce sales are expected to exceed $6.86 trillion in 2025. Thus, the pressure on warehouse operators to fulfill more orders more quickly will only grow.
The swell of online orders will also continue to bring more complexity to inventory warehousing. Retailers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers are housing increasingly diverse product mixes, and this calls for more efficient omnichannel fulfillment solutions.
In this fast-paced, omnichannel environment, managers must look to smart eCommerce warehouse solutions that can scale with the rapid growth of online sales. Dynamic storage systems, such as UNEX solutions like SpanTrack and SpeedCell, are designed to accommodate diverse SKUs and accelerate inventory movement within the warehouse.
2. Labor Shortages and the Push for Efficiency
Labor shortages were a major disruptive factor in 2024, and they’ll continue to headline supply chain trends in 2025. One recent survey indicates that 37% of companies in logistics and supply chain management still face significant labor shortages. Meanwhile, according to a Gartner report, robots are expected to surpass frontline workers in manufacturing by 2028.
Yet, opting for robotics comes with its own steep costs, and warehouse operators would be wise to explore simpler solutions that complement and maximize any investment in automation. Dynamic storage solutions such as carton flow racks offer a “semi-automatic” approach, relying on gravity to move products toward the pick face. When paired with automated solutions like pick-to-light or robotic pickers, dynamic shelving can help teams accomplish more without relying on wholesale automation for every task.
Whatever the specifics, most warehouses will face a critical challenge in 2025: Fulfill more orders in less time with fewer workers.
3. Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Operations
Consumers’ cries for sustainability are only growing louder each year. A recent PwC survey found that the average buyer would pay 9.4% more for goods and services that were sourced and delivered sustainably — and that’s despite heavy inflation.
Given the growth of eCommerce, more customers are explicitly looking for online retailers that can showcase their commitment to sustainability. The onus is on warehouses to appeal to these eco-conscious consumers (not to mention meet ever-evolving regulatory demands) by making sustainability a priority throughout their operation. On one hand, that means retailers must prioritize highly visible changes such as using sustainable packaging and reducing carbon emissions from transportation.
There are subtler ways to produce sustainable results, too. Storage and picking systems like SpanTrack require no energy to operate and facilitate more efficient fulfillment processes to minimize waste in the warehouse. These and other dynamic storage solutions can also increase storage density by up to 60%, preventing warehouses from taking up more space (and thus using more energy) than necessary.
4. Space Optimization and Warehouse Density
Speaking of space optimization — that’s another key move in response to the biggest supply chain trends for 2025. Demand for more space exploded during the pandemic, and rent prices soon followed suit. Now, warehouses are faced with the need to do more with less, consolidating inventory and making the most of a smaller footprint to curb overhead costs.
That’s an especially tall task in 2025 with SKUs proliferating in eCommerce operations. So, how can fulfillment centers come up with warehouse optimization strategies to keep their footprint in check?
The best option is to look toward high-density storage solutions that allow warehouses to utilize every inch of space — horizontal and vertical — for storage and fulfillment efficiency. SpeedCell, for instance, provides highly compact, dense shelving that can be moved for easy access, improving space utilization within the fulfillment center. In warehouses that require a lot of each picking with a variety of SKUs, and have products with low to moderate throughput, SpeedCell can create four times more pick locations compared to static shelves.
Learn how to save space in your facility. Download The Guide To Optimizing Warehouse Space Utilization!
5. Data-Driven Decision Making
With such a confluence of challenges, today’s warehouses must dial in the efficiency of their operations like never before. It’s no easy task, but it means even the most minute changes can yield impressive results.
Yet, minute changes call for precise insights into the minutiae of the warehouse operation. That means data — and data analytics — will prove more critical than ever in 2025. It’s no surprise, then, that many warehouses are leaning on warehouse management systems (WMS) to improve efficiency in inventory management and order fulfillment.
In 2025 and beyond, advanced WMS will allow more operators to lean on predictive analytics for forecasting inventory needs and optimizing stock levels to avoid both overstocking and stockouts. These insights might include:
- Fulfillment costs per order
- Order volume and peak times
- Warehouse capacity
- Average shipping times
- Operational bottlenecks
Additional insights may vary based on warehouse needs and the specifics of each fulfillment operation. With the right data and insights in hand, warehouse operators can find the best ways to optimize costs without overspending on fancy new technologies.
How Warehouses Can Stay Ahead: Actionable Steps
What do these 2025 supply chain trends and warehouse predictions mean for your operation? Here are five steps you can take to stay ahead this year:
- Adopt flexible and space-saving storage solutions: Implement solutions like SpanTrack carton flow and SpeedCell high-density storage to better manage SKU proliferation and warehouse space limitations. These systems can significantly improve storage density, helping you accommodate more inventory without expanding your warehouse footprint.
- Maximize worker efficiency: Enhance productivity with FlowCell modular workstations, which present products at optimal heights and angles to reduce worker fatigue and accelerate picking and packing processes. Ergonomic setups are essential for maintaining efficiency without increasing labor costs.
- Focus on organization and workflow optimization: Poor organization can slow down operations and lead to wasted labor hours. Solutions like SpanTrack Lane and SpanTrack Wheel Bed, for instance, ensure better product flow, faster picking, and fewer inventory hang-ups, improving overall accuracy and efficiency.
- Prioritize sustainability and durability: Choose durable equipment that stands the test of time, is sustainably made, and requires little to no energy to use and maintain. UNEX dynamic storage solutions, for instance, are built to last and rely solely on the power of gravity to operate.
- Leverage data for continuous improvement: Use data to analyze your operations and make informed decisions. Whether it’s enhancing picking accuracy, streamlining inventory turnover, or improving space utilization, tracking performance metrics can help optimize warehouse processes without turning wholeheartedly toward automation.
Preparing Your Warehouse for Success in 2025
The world of supply chain logistics has grown increasingly competitive since the pandemic upended everything just a few years ago. Warehouse managers should expect these trends to continue in 2025.
Focusing on efficiency and effective space utilization is an essential task for any warehouse operation in this environment. Data must be at the heart of decisions, but the most fruitful changes often happen right where the action is: on the warehouse floor. Optimizing the use of space and streamlining the fulfillment process for workers will go a long way toward future-proofing your facility.
Contact UNEX today to learn how implementing dynamic storage solutions can help your warehouse stay ahead of the biggest supply chain challenges in 2025.
