How can eco+social impact brands take care of their stockroom sustainably? In this article we share the top tips!
One of the most important parts of running a retail store is keeping track of inventory in your stockroom. If you aren’t able to monitor what products you have easily, you’re putting your business at risk.
For those that prefer to use sustainable practices, it can be a little more challenging to know where to get started. Thankfully it is possible with the right planning.
The first step is to assess the current setup and the eco-friendly practices you already have in place. Once you have identified potential improvements, it’s time to get to work!
The following tips will ensure that your stockroom is organized for maximum efficiency and sustainability:
How green is your parcel? Ways to use sustainable courier services
Create a Layout Plan
Before reorganizing and changing anything, create a layout plan that outlines where items should go. This plan should include a detailed map of the area with designated spots for all of your sustainable products.
It should also take into consideration any existing shelving units or equipment in the room, as well as any future expansion plans. For instance, you may wish to invest in more longterm storage containers.
How to Make Your Business More Sustainable & Also Save Money
Consider Your Available Space
Every stockroom is different, so before you make any changes, try and think about the space you have available. What layout will allow you to store the most items without overcrowding the area?
Remember to make use of vertical space with wall storage units, peg boards, and shelving. This will help keep items off the floor and maximize the amount of usable space in the room.
This is also the time to outline what energy you use. What type of lights are in your stockroom? Is it possible to switch to a better option? These are all important questions to ask.
Label Absolutely Everything
Labeling is key when it comes to organization! Everything from the shelves to the individual products should be labeled so that they can be easily identified.
This saves having to search through piles of boxes or drawers and also helps ensure accuracy when restocking shelves or counting inventory.
Recyclable labels are the perfect choice for this. They are compostable and bio-degradable so you can make changes as frequently as needed.
Group Similar Items Together
Another great tip is to group like items together so that related products are easier to find. For example, you can place all of your eco-friendly cleaning products together on one shelf instead of scattering them throughout the room.
You can also create categories for kid’s clothing, women’s and men’s, etc. This makes restocking shelves much simpler and faster because you know exactly where everything needs to go! This same principle can be applied to other types of products too.
Packaging waste makes up one-third of what is delivered to landfills each year
Utilize Technology
If you haven’t already considered using technology in your stockroom, now is the time to do so. It has so many great benefits, which will increase the overall productivity and sustainability of your business.
Tools such as barcode scanners or RFID tags can reduce human error when counting inventory or restocking shelves. Alongside this, automating processes allows your team to focus on other tasks.
Perhaps the largest benefit of all is that this significantly reduces your paper use as all of the information is stored digitally. It’s a win-win!
10 Tips for Cultivating Employee Personal Responsibility around Sustainability
Final Words
And that’s it! Following these steps will help you organize your store for maximum efficiency and sustainability so that you can help protect the environment and focus on making great sales. Good luck!
