Warehouses suddenly on a growth curve

After some two decades of the number of warehouses in this country diminishing due to increasing use of just-in-time (JIT) cargo delivery, particularly in the SA manufacturing industry, the tide appears to have turned.

With the growing advent of hub-and-spoke distribution, particularly in the retail industry, and on-line shopping and restocking through the Internet becoming more-and-more popular by the day, warehouses in SA have suddenly found themselves back in a burgeoning growth phase.

And an article in bizcommunity.com quoting Mark Mackay, regional manager of Zebra Technologies, produced proof of this increase in warehouse investment in SA.

It pointed out that 39% of companies plan to increase the number of warehouses and 33% to expand their size.

“The trend,” it said, “reflects the need both for greater capacity in hub sites and for more local depots.”