In a fast-paced, omnichannel fulfillment landscape that is dominated by high-SKU counts and increasing consumer demands, effective storage is no longer optional; it’s essential. Whether you're running an eCommerce fulfillment center, a third-party logistics warehouse, or a retail backroom, maximizing space and streamlining access to inventory is critical to operational success. Enter bin shelving, a simple yet powerful solution designed to bring organization, speed, and efficiency to your SKU storage and order picking strategy.
This article covers everything you need to know about bin shelving: what it is, who it’s for, how it works, the different types available, and how it can improve efficiency in your operation. We’ll also explore how UNEX takes bin shelving to the next level with dynamic, high-density storage systems designed for even greater operational efficiency.
What is Bin Shelving?
Bin shelving is a storage solution that divides shelving units into individual compartments, or bins, to organize and store smaller items or high-SKU inventory. These bins can be rigid or flexible, fixed or dynamic, and are typically used to separate parts, products, or supplies into clearly defined spaces.
Unlike bulk or open shelving, bin shelving ensures every item has a dedicated location. Bin shelving solutions reduce clutter, improve accessibility, and make it easier for workers to find what they need quickly and accurately.
Who Uses Bin Shelving?
Bin shelving is used across a broad range of industries and environments where small parts and multiple SKUs must be stored in an organized and highly accessible way. It’s especially common in:
- Warehousing and Distribution Centers: Bin shelving streamlines order picking by grouping SKUs in easily accessible compartments, reducing the time workers spend searching for items. It also optimizes layout and inventory visibility, resulting in improved throughput and fewer picking errors.
- eCommerce Fulfillment: In high-volume eCommerce operations, bin shelving supports rapid order turnover by neatly organizing a wide range of SKUs. It helps teams fulfill multiple small-item orders efficiently and accurately, even in compact forward-picking zones.
- Manufacturing and Assembly: Bin shelving keeps tools, components, fasteners, and small parts within arm’s reach on the production floor or assembly line. This minimizes downtime, supports lean manufacturing practices, and improves operator productivity.
- Retail Backrooms: Retail operations use bin shelving to organize inventory by size, color, or category, making it easier for employees to quickly locate products for restocking, customer service, or fulfilling orders being picked up in-store. This is especially important in apparel, electronics, and big box retail environments.
- Automotive and Maintenance Shops: These facilities rely on bin shelving to organize thousands of small parts such as nuts, bolts, gaskets, and fittings, making it easier for technicians to retrieve the right item fast and keep repairs on schedule.
- Healthcare and Labs: Bin shelving provides compartmentalized, labeled storage for medical devices, instruments, vials, and medications. It helps maintain hygiene standards, reduces risk of cross-contamination, and supports inventory traceability.
- Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Warehouses: 3PLs benefit from bin shelving by managing diverse inventories for multiple clients in a single space. Bin shelving helps segment client SKUs efficiently, reduce cross-mixing, and increase picking accuracy across a variety of product lines.
Wherever there’s a need for fast access to organized inventory, bin shelving offers a clear advantage.
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How Does Bin Shelving Work?
At its core, bin shelving works by dividing available space into a series of individual containers or compartments. These bins are arranged in shelving units — sometimes adjustable, sometimes mobile — and are often labeled for quick visual identification.
The result is a high-visibility storage system where items are easy to locate, retrieve, and restock. In busy operations, this means fewer picking errors, less time spent searching, and a more efficient workflow overall. When strategically placed, bin shelving also keeps commonly used items within ergonomic reach, reducing strain and improving workplace safety.
What Are the Different Types of Bin Shelving?
There are several types of bin shelving available, each with its own benefits depending on your inventory profile and operational needs:
1. Static Bin Shelving
Static bin shelving consists of fixed shelving units (often basic wire shelving) outfitted with plastic, metal, or cardboard bins. Commonly used for low-turn or consistent inventory. Static bin shelving is best for smaller applications looking for simple, low-volume storage solutions. Static bin shelving offers a cost-effective way to organize your operation, but storage density is limited.
2. Mobile Bin Shelving
Mounted on wheels or tracks, mobile bin shelving units can be relocated as needed. Mobile bin shelving is highly effective in meeting seasonal demands or pop-up storage needs and is well-suited for high-traffic operations that require flexible, movable storage locations.
3. Dynamic Bin Shelving
Unlike static bin shelving, dynamic bin shelving is a more advanced system that allows bins or cells to move, slide, or nest within rack structures. Dynamic bin shelving systems dramatically increase SKU density and are best for high-volume operations with limited space. When designed to meet the specific needs of your operation, dynamic bin shelving can significantly increase your capacity and improve efficiency across your entire operation.
How Bin Shelving Improves Efficiency
Efficiency is the hallmark of well-designed bin shelving. Here's how it delivers real operational gains:
- Increases Pick Speed: With clearly labeled, easily accessible bins, workers spend less time searching and more time picking.
- Reduces Inventory Errors: Each SKU has a home, minimizing the risk of mispicks or misplaced items.
- Maximizes Floor Space: By organizing inventory vertically and densely, bin shelving frees up valuable square footage.
- Enhances Ergonomics: Items are stored at accessible heights and depths, eliminating dead zones while reducing strain and injury risk.
Bin shelving is a relatively low-tech solution that solves high-impact challenges across the supply chain, increasing operational efficiency in a wide variety of facilities and applications.
UNEX SpeedCell: Dynamic Bin Shelving
At UNEX, we’ve taken the principles of bin shelving and engineered them into a high-performance, dynamic, high-density storage solution: SpeedCell.
What Is SpeedCell? A Bin Shelving Solution That Dramatically Increases SKU Density
SpeedCell is a dynamic, high-density storage system that easily installs into existing pallet racking to fully maximize every square inch of rack space. SpeedCell increases storage capacity by allowing full access to every bin or “cell” within your racks. Made from industrial-strength textiles, SpeedCell consists of vertical columns of storage cells that slide side-to-side to store multiple rows of inventory.
How Exactly Does SpeedCell Work?
SpeedCell works by suspending columns of high-strength storage cells within an existing bay of industrial pallet rack - no flow racks or other shelving units are needed. These columns are mounted to the rack with a steel track system that allows you to slide individual columns side to side. SpeedCell installs easily with simple tools and hardware. Tracks are mounted to the beams of your pallet rack with crossbars designed to fit into both step and structural beams. SpeedCell columns are then dropped into the tracks throughout the depth of the rack.
SpeedCell Key Benefits
- Up to 60% More Storage Density: Store more SKUs in the same footprint with an easy-to-implement, cost-effective storage system.
- Up to 40% Faster Picking: SpeedCell minimizes travel time and improves order picking speed in even the most fast-paced, demanding environments.
- Golden Zone Ergonomics: Items are stored within the ‘golden zone’ and dead zones are completely eliminated, allowing for full use of your rack space, and easy, stress-free order picking.
- Quick ROI: SpeedCell reduces labor and space costs without the use of expensive automation. Space savings are so significant and so quick, it is very easy to prove the ROI on this investment.
Unfussy Bin Shelving That Improves Space Utilization in Your Existing Footprint? That’s SpeedCell.
Perhaps you have existing static shelving, like wire decking, installed in pallet rack, but see the value of SpeedCell and wish you could make the switch. The good news is, you can still benefit from SpeedCell without a total change of equipment! If you have existing pallet rack in your retail storage room, fulfillment center, or warehouse for example, you can boost your SKU density by up to 60% with SpeedCell, because it’s designed to seamlessly integrate into your existing structures.
SpeedCell enables remarkable inventory density levels within your existing storage footprint by ergonomically fitting more SKUs into less space than static industrial shelving. Pick speeds and accuracy are dramatically improved, shaving valuable time from every order fulfilled, leading to measurable bottom-line improvements.
The Bottom Line: Dynamic bin shelving solutions like SpeedCell exponentially improve operational efficiency, making them a high-value addition for any fulfillment center, warehouse, or retail storage space looking to meet the increasing demands of today’s consumers.
Unlock Smarter Storage with UNEX Bin Shelving
If your operation is struggling with cluttered shelves, clunky order picking processes, or limited space, bin shelving like SpeedCell high-density storage could be the simple fix that makes a significant impact on your overall efficiency. Ready to save space, boost productivity, and save valuable time and money? Contact our team of experts at UNEX today to learn how a dynamic bin shelving solution like SpeedCell can help you store more, pick faster, and improve your operational efficiency.
