Storage tips for Furniture Retailers
Having a furniture business can be extremely lucrative – after all, everybody has furniture in their homes. But one of the most essential aspects of running a furniture retail business is stock management. Unlike many other businesses, furniture takes up a lot of space. You'll no doubt want to put some furniture on display in your retail store (unless you have an online retail business), and the remainder will need to be kept in a commercial storage unit.
This, however, is something easier said than done, and you need to know a little bit about furniture storage in order to keep your product in optimal condition. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Ask for above ground storage. Any reputable commercial storage company should be able to offer you a range of spaces. With furniture, it's really important that you try and steer clear of ground level storage solutions. If there is any flooding at all, all of your stock would be totally destroyed. If you do end up storing furniture on the ground floor, consider putting it on top of wooden pellets or planks.
You need a lot of space. For personal storage, you might be satisfied with throwing all of your belongings in a room in a haphazard way, but when you store furniture with the intention of eventually selling it, it's really important that you have enough space so that the furniture doesn't rub against each other. This is because scratching and denting can so easily occur.
Stay away from plastic covers. You'll no doubt want to keep your furniture as protected as possible in protective covers. There are many different varieties of these in the marketplace, and it's important to stay away from the plastic ones. The reason for this is that while plastic sheets will protect from external factors in the air, they would actually be very suffocating and cause mould and mildew to take hold underneath the sheets, potentially destroying the sale value of your product. Using a soft layer of soft fabric, such as muslin, to cover your furniture is a much better idea.
Prep the furniture. It's really important to make sure that your furniture is professionally cleaned before being put in storage. Dirt and bacteria could attract nasty pests, and over time, dirt is harder to remove, so it's best to get rid of it before it goes into storage. You may also want to use specialist oils that protect the integrity of the furniture and prevent moisture from seeping in, which can cause mould and mildew. You will need to seek out different oils for different furniture materials, such as hardwood and leather.
Regulate the temperature. Almost all commercial storage units will offer some kind of temperature control, and this is a very important aspect of furniture storage. At certain temperatures, wood can expand and contract, and this can cause warping and breakages. At certain levels of humidity, moisture is also more likely to take hold, and again, this is bad news because it can lead to mould and mildew.
Think about taking it apart. Some furniture has to stay together and some can come apart at its hinges. If your furniture can come apart, it could be worth storing it in this way, for space saving reasons. You will, however, have to make sure that it's packed up so that the pieces don't rub up against each other and become damaged.
Follow these tips, and shop around a few different commercial storage units before making a final decision to find the place that is exactly right for your furniture retail business.