How Retailers Can Optimize Backroom Storage with Dynamic Solutions

In recent years, the pervasive push toward eCommerce has brought new challenges to retail backrooms. With customers in search of more options and faster fulfillment, the traditional approach to backroom organization is no longer cutting it. 

Simply put, static retail storage solutions and basic shelving can’t keep up with the fast-paced, fluid fulfillment needs of modern retailers. That leaves retailers in search of new ways to maximize storage efficiency without expanding their footprint.

Enter dynamic storage solutions. From gravity flow racks to high-density storage solutions, retailers are discovering how to unlock more efficiency and optimize product movement in their backrooms.

Today’s Retail Backroom Challenges

Many of today’s retail stores play dual roles. Stores serve as traditional shopping destinations and local fulfillment centers for eCommerce orders. This multifaceted, omnichannel fulfillment approach is meant to decrease fulfillment times and maximize the use of existing brick-and-mortar locations. However, it also brings significant challenges:

• Limited space: Online customers demand more variety and personalization, and that means more products on hand in their local retail backroom. Many retailers lack sufficient storage capacity to support growing SKU counts.
• Inefficient storage layouts: Space limitations aren’t solely related to available square footage. Static shelving and traditional racks often waste vertical space and slow down picking.
• Seasonality and demand fluctuations: Inventory changes as retailers strive to keep pace with fluctuating consumer demand throughout the year. Retailers must accommodate peak seasons without permanently expanding their footprint and increasing long-term storage costs.
• Omnichannel and eCommerce fulfillment pressures: Retail backrooms must serve double duty, facilitating both in-store replenishment and online order fulfillment. A failure to calculate inventory needs or optimize backroom storage and picking could lead to poor customer service on both fronts.

Benefits of Choosing Dynamic Storage Solutions

These challenges may seem insurmountable for the typical retail backroom, but they’re easily overcome by converting key shelving areas into dynamic storage. Instead of relying solely on basic static shelves, retailers should look for ways to incorporate various types of flexible, space-efficient shelving. 

Introducing more compact, tightly organized shelving offers a number of important benefits:

• Maximizing your use of space: Dynamic storage solutions enable you to fully utilize the available space, both vertically and horizontally. When you can fit more SKUs within the same footprint, you lay the foundation for more efficient picking and stocking.
• Enhancing inventory organization and accessibility: Rather than hunting and reaching through sprawling shelves of inventory, pickers can quickly find what they need in compact, organized spaces. Faster product retrieval leads to quicker order fulfillment or front-of-house restocking.
• Reducing picker travel time: Products aren’t just easier to find with dynamic storage — they’re also set in closer proximity for a more efficient backroom layout. Using smart retail storage solutions can help pickers or restockers stick to smaller areas for a streamlined workflow.
• Supporting FIFO stocking and rotation: Dynamic storage solutions like carton flow racks are designed to optimize first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory management. Simplifying your stocking and picking order to ensure older products are shipped out first helps prevent waste and obsolescence in retail backrooms. 

UNEX Dynamic Storage Solutions for Retail Backrooms

Dynamic storage offers one of the most direct ways to address the challenges facing retail backrooms. By replacing static shelving with more flexible, high-density systems, retailers can maximize space, streamline picking, and improve inventory organization. 

What does this look like in practice? UNEX offers a range of dynamic storage solutions designed to tackle these challenges head-on. SpeedCell, SpanTrack, and Roller Rack are all equipped to help retailers optimize their backroom storage for better efficiency, accessibility, and fulfillment speed. Let’s take a closer look at each product in action.

1. SpeedCell: High-Density Dynamic Storage for SKU Accessibility

What if you didn’t have to completely overhaul your existing backroom space to radically expand your storage capacity? That’s the advantage of SpeedCell, which can compress up to 200 feet of existing static racks into 40 feet of highly organized space. 

These high-density storage columns are perfect for each picking, with cells that hold up to 35 pounds and a range of column sizes to choose from. Each row of columns moves along a steel track, allowing retailers to store more products within the same footprint while improving SKU access for pickers. SpeedCell is ideal for apparel, grocery, and general merchandise storage, whether you’re fulfilling eCommerce orders or restocking front-of-house inventory.

As a bonus, you can even use SpeedCell to create organized in-store pickup zones for customers.

2. SpanTrack: Carton Flow for Fast-Paced Restocking & Picking

Need a way to transform static shelving but tailor it to faster full-case fulfillment and restocking? SpanTrack carton flow tracks instantly convert your flat shelves into a streamlined gravity-flow system. By keeping your SKUs in well-organized lanes, you’ll reduce search time and improve efficiency for in-store restocking and order fulfillment.

You can choose from smooth-flowing roller lanes or flexible wheel beds for fast product movement. Both options support FIFO stock rotation, allowing easy restocking from the back while older items are picked from the front. SpanTrack is ideal for omnichannel retailers with a variety of medium- or fast-moving SKUs. 

3. Roller Rack: Gravity Flow Racks to Maximize SKU Density

Looking for an all-in-one retail storage solution to upgrade your backroom? The Roller Rack modular design lets you fit pre-built racking and gravity flow shelves to your space. Choose your sizing and storage layout, then quickly build or move your shelves with our simple knock-down design. 

The best part? You can store up to seven times more SKUs on Roller Rack shelves than on traditional static shelving, and they cut your picker travel time by up to 80%. Roller Rack comes with all the benefits of SpanTrack — making it ideal for retailers with ​​wide SKU variety and fast-moving inventory — but simplifies setup for backrooms without existing pallet racking.

Real-World Applications of Dynamic Storage in Retail

Part of the beauty of dynamic storage solutions lies in their adaptability. You can use any of the above UNEX offerings in a wide range of retail environments. Consider, for instance:

• Grocery and convenience stores: Temperature-controlled carton flow racks can keep backroom inventory fresh and well organized. Optimized FIFO storage ensures perishable items are restocked quickly and in the right order.
• Apparel and footwear retailers: High-density storage cells keep SKUs organized and accessible where backroom space is limited. These can be paired with overhead racks for slower-moving inventory, allowing faster replenishment of your fastest movers.
• Big-box and department stores: Adaptability is the name of the game in big-box environments. A mixture of gravity flow and high-density storage allows for more efficient space utilization and faster omnichannel fulfillment while leaving plenty of room for inventory changes throughout the year.

The Path to a Smarter Retail Backroom

Retail is evolving faster than ever, and the challenge to improve omnichannel fulfillment will only grow stronger. Tomorrow’s retailers will only have to handle more inventory, fulfill orders faster, and adapt to even higher levels of eCommerce demand.

Backrooms will be the testing ground for how well retailers can adapt to these changes. Fortunately, dynamic storage solutions offer a simple, streamlined way to improve order accuracy and reduce operational costs. By implementing SpeedCell, SpanTrack, and Roller Rack, retailers can quickly optimize their backroom storage and keep products within reach for restocking or omnichannel fulfillment. 

Ready to learn more? Check out our Retail & Omnichannel Dynamic Storage Buying Guide to explore how UNEX storage solutions can transform your retail backroom. Contact us anytime, and our experts will help you plan the right setup for your needs.