A company’s warehouse is a vital part of its supply chain. A well thought out warehouse design can boost warehouse efficiency, cut overhead costs and make your warehouse the strongest link in the supply chain.

• Use warehouse space more efficiently. Pallet racking systems provide high density storage and optimize the use warehouse floor space. When inventory is stored within a smaller floor area, forklift trucks and other handling machinery travel along shorter routes and picking is achieved more quickly and efficiently.
• Balance storage and picking. Strategic placing of products, for example by storing fast-moving lines on lower shelves of pallet racking, can improve efficiency and reduce overheads.
• Create product zones. Allocate different warehouse zones for different product types. Products that move rapidly are placed along wider aisles and closer to loading docks so that they can be picked quickly from the pallet racking system. Slower moving lines that are less frequently picked can be placed along narrower aisles further away from loading docks and high traffic areas.

Each of these ideas depends on the use of high density pallet racking systems in your warehouse. Although Bethel Shopfitting World specialise in retail display and storage solutions, we also carry pallet racking for industrial applications. Made from heavy duty gauge steel, our racking systems come in single- and double-pallet bays in heights of 3600mm and 4800mm.

For warehouse and stores requiring lower density storage solutions we offer robust, versatile heavy-duty mini-pallet racking. We will be happy to discuss your warehouse storage and handling needs and assist with planning and equipping your warehouse.

When you’re planning a shop fit-out it’s natural to focus much of your attention on the display and sales area, but remember that the storage racks you install in the “back room” of your store can enhance the appearance and functionality of the sales and display area, and improve efficiency and productivity.

How?  While there’s still a place for the “pile-it-high sell-it-cheap” style of store, in many retail stores the trend for some time has been for more inventory to be held in storage racks in the store room and less stock to be on display in the sales area of the store. There are a number of advantages in this arrangement:

• Stock is handled less by customers and stays in better condition.
• It is easier for staff to notice when stock disappears from the sales area without going through the sales process (in other words, it has been stolen by a shoplifter).
• Stock control is simplified.
• Customers can find what they are looking for more easily.
• Many people prefer a tidier, more streamlined sales area.

The storage racks in the store room of a retail outlet don’t need to look stylish but they must be functional. Of course storage racks should be robust enough to support the weight of inventory; they should also permit flexibility so that the area is always well organised and everything is easily accessible. In many retail stores the volume of stock varies along seasonal lines and it’s important that there are sufficient storage racks for peak times.

Point of sale counters play a crucial role in the impression customers get of your retail store. Typically positioned near the store exit, counters are seen at the end of a customer’s shopping experience, and you don’t need to be reminded about the importance of last impressions!

The colour, style and design of counters should harmonise with other shop fittings in your store. We offer a variety of stylish, functional shop counters, including the no-nonsense Point of Sale range in white or beech finish, counters with brushed silver tops and kickboards, and a versatile luxury range of counters fitted with castors and incorporating glass display sections. Our confectionery counters, robust units with glass display areas and angled shelves for displaying confectionery and other stock, encourage point of sale impulse purchases. We have a range of counter-top display stands for small items to maximize opportunities for sales of novelties and gift lines.

The counter should be placed where staff can watch over the entire sales area of the store, so that they can attend to customers who need assistance and keep an eye on store security. The counter is your staff’s work station, and its design contributes to staff comfort and efficiency. Our counters are designed to maximise bench space and minimise clutter; some have till cut-outs, and all counters have cable holes to keep cables out of sight. Counters are designed with drawers or compartments for storing tools and consumables close to hand, and some have secure, lockable compartments for your staff’s belongings.

Choose a functional, stylish counter in a style that complements your store’s theme. A good choice of point of sale counter can boost sales by encouraging impulse purchases, and first-time customers who are impressed by your store’s professional, efficient service will return to repeat the pleasant shopping experience.

It goes by various names – shoplifting, shrinkage, five finger discounts – but let’s not pussyfoot around: it is simply theft!  Shoplifting costs Australian business owners dearly and shoplifting losses can force retailers out of business. Retail store owners can take steps to minimize shoplifting losses by strategic shop fitting; Brisbane retail staff can also be trained to watch for suspicious activity.

By employing thoughtful shop fitting Brisbane retail stores can discourage shoplifting:

• Place the sales counter where staff can monitor activity in the store.
• Arrange tall shelving against walls around the perimeter of the store, and low shelving and racks in the middle of the store.
• Fit mirrors so that there are no blind spots where customers are unobserved.
• Keep an eye on displays near exit doors or outside the shop.

To supplement strategic shop fitting Brisbane store staff can be trained to be alert to signs that a visitor to the store may have shoplifting in mind.

• Shoplifters are more watchful than other customers, tending to observe staff rather than merchandise.
• Shoplifters sometimes work in groups, with one or two of the group distracting staff while the others steal.
• Someone who wears loose clothing and carries empty carrier bags may be planning to shoplift.
• Someone who frequently visits the store without buying may be waiting for an opportunity to steal.

By training staff to be observant and improving visibility with careful shop fitting Brisbane retailers may be able to reduce shoplifting losses. A polite “Can I help you?” may be enough to deter a potential shoplifter.

You’ve worked hard to source the products you sell in your retail store. Do your shop fittings – shelving systems, display cabinets, counters and showcases – work hard for you to display your products at their best?

The layout of your store starts at the entrance door; in the transition zone between the outside world and your store’s interior, potential customers adjust to the ambience of your shop. Make this adjustment easy by placing something in the zone, like a “specials” table, a blackboard or a plate of tasty morsels to sample, that entices them to stop just inside the entrance.

The layout of shelving systems and other display elements in your store encourages customer traffic through the store. Marketing experts often recommend encouraging customers to progress in a clockwise direction, so avoid having the counter to the left of the entrance door. Place shelving systems so as to allow space between aisles for customers to move or linger, and keep sight lines clear to maximise opportunities for customer service interactions as well as minimising shoplifting risk.

It’s easier to keep your shop looking tidy and orderly if you avoid the temptation to fill shelving systems with stock; a few carefully chosen and positioned items give a more visually pleasing impression and they are less likely to be damaged by over-handling. Use the ends of shelving systems and shelving bays to display stock that you want to emphasis.

Encourage impulse buys with counter-front shelving systems for confectionery, and counter-top stands for trinkets, gift cards and novelties. The most effective retail shop fittings are unobtrusive quiet achievers that make your store’s products the centre of your customers’ attention.