Rapidly increasing e-commerce, inflation, and the idea of keeping more stock due to the impact of the pandemic exponentially increase the demand for production and supply sources in nearby geographies and the demand for storage space. If planned measures are not taken, it is sure that there will be a severe storage space crisis in Türkiye. In this context, it is stated that the storage areas in our country are 20-25 million square meters (m2), but an additional 25 million m2 of storage space will be needed in the next five years.While 18 thousand m2 of storage space is required for every 1 billion euro investment, e-commerce may require three times more storage space than normal retailing. This situation constantly changes according to industry dynamics.

E-commerce Sector's Search for Solutions

According to E-Commerce Information Platform data, while there was an e-commerce volume of 136 billion TL, 1.3 billion orders, and 68 thousand 457 businesses in 2019, these figures will increase to 800 billion TL volume and 4.8 billion orders in 2022. and they were raised to 548 thousand 688 businesses. According to the latest data from TUIK, e-commerce usage is increasing exponentially. While the rate of people ordering or shopping online in 2012 was 10.3 percent, this rate increased to 49.5 percent as of August 2023. Therefore, 90 percent of e-commerce consists of logistics and "fulfillment" transactions, especially in warehouses, pushing the sector leaders to search for solutions.

Türkiye Can Become Europe's Supply Chain Center

Especially during and after the pandemic, the need to find production and supply sources in nearby geographies has increased considerably. For this reason, Türkiye is the best country to be Europe's supply chain country, with both its geographical proximity and production competence. However, there needs to be more storage space for this. Therefore, Türkiye cannot meet this need in its current situation. Thus, although the first thing that comes to mind is to build new areas, the implementation and implementation of this solution requires a high amount of investment and at least 5-10 years. What must be done to create additional storage areas in Türkiye and abroad by creating bright digital storage areas? For this, R&D centers must develop digital logistics solutions.

So How to Achieve Efficiency in Storage?

The logistics industry, experiencing crises related to storage areas, is developing many techniques to increase efficiency. These can be briefly listed as follows;

• Technological facilities should be included in storage areas.

You can use digital applications to track the products in your warehouse via barcode numbers.

• Correct and high-quality storage products should be preferred.

You should choose products that can last for many years in storage areas. This way, you can be protected from possible damages and expenses.

• Storage areas should be stacked vertically

One of the biggest saviors of storage space is to choose a vertical storage method instead of stacking it horizontally. You can save a lot of space by stacking products that will not be broken or crushed on top of each other on shelves or pallet systems. However, when applying this substance, you should be careful not to damage the materials.

• All available storage space should be used in its entirety.

 If you equip your warehouse with appropriate storage equipment, you will avoid any warehouse expansion costs and problems, even if the number of products you have increases gradually.

In this context, Ünsped Global Logistics  and Ünsped Customs Consultancy  continue to pioneer the sector thanks to the R&D applications offered with their innovative approach, vital supply chain service, and reliable storage areas. If you want to get information and communicate in these areas, you can rest assured that we,