{"id":7930,"date":"2023-04-09T16:50:30","date_gmt":"2023-04-09T16:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T23:05:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T23:05:13","slug":"warehouse-capacity","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","title":{"rendered":"Warehouse Capacity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-section-hero-standard-form hero-standard\"><div class=\"container row\"><div class=\"col hero-standard-content\"><h1 class=\"hero-standard-title \">Warehouse Capacity Guide<\/h1>\n<p>How do you choose a warehouse that has optimal space for growth, so you don\u2019t outgrow it too fast \u2014 or never fully grow into it and end up paying for more than you need?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article will help you learn how to calculate and optimise warehouse capacity, as well as&nbsp;explores alternatives to managing a warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, what do you want to learn?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what-is\">What is warehouse capacity?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how-to\">How to calculate warehouse capacity<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#increase\">Increasing current warehouse capacity<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#manage\">Managing growing capacity needs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#wms\">Optimise your warehouse\u2019s capacity with ShipBob\u2019s WMS<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Warehouse capacity FAQs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><div class=\"col hero-standard-form offset-1  \"><div class=\"card hero-home-customer-card form-card\"><h3 class=\"form-title\">Request WMS Pricing<\/h3><h3 class=\"h4 form-subtitle\">Let&#8217;s talk. See if ShipBob&#8217;s warehouse management system is right for your warehouse.<\/h3><p class=\"form-copy\"><\/p><div class=\"card-body form-5fa2a87b-e745-450e-871c-95ecc2c7f85a\" data-controller=\"form-controller\" data-form-controller-form-id-value=\"5fa2a87b-e745-450e-871c-95ecc2c7f85a\" data-form-controller-form-container-query-value=\"form-5fa2a87b-e745-450e-871c-95ecc2c7f85a\"><\/div><p class=\"form-note\">A fulfilment expert will get back to you shortly. <a href=\"\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is\">What is warehouse capacity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For ecommerce, warehouse capacity refers to the amount of available space for storage, inventory preparation, and order fulfilment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To fully understand warehouse capacity, it\u2019s important to make a clear distinction between theoretical storage capacity and working capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While theoretical storage capacity refers to the physical capacity of the warehouse (both vertically and horizontally), working capacity is the amount of space available based on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/dimensional-weight-explained\/\">weight and dimensions<\/a> of products being stored<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How much inventory you need on hand to meet demand<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How much space your team needs to locate items and fulfil orders efficiently<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wms-cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col wms-cta-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Introducing ShipBob&#8217;s<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><span class=\"u-text-sky\">Warehouse<\/span> <span class=\"u-text-canary\">Management System<\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>ShipBob&#8217;s WMS is for in-house fulfilment to reduce picking errors, mange inventory in real time, and scale faster.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wms-cta-button-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/product\/merchant-plus\/\" class=\"btn btn-primary\">Learn More<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-makes\">What makes warehouse capacity important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Warehouse capacity plays a critical role in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/logistics-operations\/\">logistics operations<\/a>&nbsp;and goes beyond optimising for inventory storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding your warehouse capacity helps you decide how much inventory you can afford to have on hand to meet demand while also reducing risk of potential&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/inventory-kpis\/backorder\/\">backorders<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/inventory-kpis\/stockout-costs\/\">stockouts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having more warehouse capacity is not always better. With more warehouse capacity and square footage, the higher your warehousing and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/inventory-carrying-costs\/\">carrying costs<\/a>&nbsp;will be, including rent, storage, picking and packing, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/inventory-management\/\">inventory management<\/a>&nbsp;tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, more space makes it easy to store more inventory than needed, which can cause an accumulation of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/inventory-kpis\/dead-stock\/\">dead stock<\/a>&nbsp;(from investing in more inventory upfront, where capital is tied until it\u2019s sold).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with storage, you might also utilise the space for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/order-fulfillment\/\">order fulfilment<\/a>. If this is the case, you will need to decide how to set up your warehouse space for efficient workflows to enable&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/fast-fulfillment\/\">fast fulfilment<\/a>&nbsp;and higher&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/order-accuracy\/\">order accuracy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to\">How to calculate warehouse capacity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding your current warehouse capacity is the first step to determine how you can optimise it.&nbsp;Here is a simple step-by-step walkthrough of how to calculate warehouse capacity using square footage measured in feet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1:&nbsp;<\/strong>Get the square feet measurements of your entire warehouse facility. For this example, we\u2019ll say it\u2019s 150,000 sq. ft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2:<\/strong>&nbsp;Calculate the total amount of space being used for non-storage purposes such as offices, restrooms, break rooms, loading areas, etc. Let\u2019s say this comes out to 30,000 sq. ft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3:<\/strong>&nbsp;Subtract the total amount of non-storage space from the total square footage of your warehouse to determine your warehouse\u2019s usable space. The formula is as followed:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Usable Space = Total Sq. Ft. \u2013 Non-Storage Space Sq. Ft.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In our example, that comes to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>150,000 Sq. Ft. \u2013 30,000 Sq. Ft. = 120,000 Sq. Ft.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 4:<\/strong>&nbsp;Next, determine how much usable storage space you have from the ground up (i.e., the maximum stack height or clear height). For this, you need to consider the lowest-hanging overhead object such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/warehouse-rack\/\">warehouse racks<\/a>&nbsp;or lighting fixtures. Let\u2019s say this is height comes to 30 ft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 5:<\/strong>&nbsp;Multiply your maximum stack height by your total usable space to find out your storage capacity in cubic feet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Storage Capacity = Usable Space in Sq. Ft. * Maximum Stack Height in Ft.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In our example, this calculation is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>120,000 Sq. Ft. * 30 Ft. = 3,600,000 Cubic Feet&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This example can give you an idea of how to determine your warehouse storage potential, but remember \u2014 you will need to also consider facility-specific factors, such as picking and packing workspaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"optimize\">By understanding how to best calculate warehouse capacity, you\u2019re able to optimise space based on your business\u2019s warehousing needs, including the amount of units and unique SKUs, total equipment, and fulfilment space needed to operate a warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-optimizing-warehouse-capacity\">Optimising warehouse capacity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you understand how to approach warehouse capacity, you\u2019re able to make better decisions on how to optimise the space you have and make informed decisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/digital-warehousing\/\">Digital warehousing<\/a>&nbsp;tools can also play a major role in optimising warehouse capacity, as well as improve&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/ecommerce-warehousing\/\">ecommerce warehouse<\/a>&nbsp;processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, using a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-management-system-wms\/\">warehouse management system<\/a>&nbsp;(WMS) can help you collect and record warehouse-related data based on historical activity, including real-time&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/inventory-management\/inventory-tracking\/\">inventory tracking<\/a>. This insight can help you track the flow of inventory throughout your warehouse to identify inefficiencies and make improvements in your overall operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Periodical\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-inspection\/\">warehouse inspections<\/a>\u00a0can also bring warehouse capacity inefficiencies to the surface. By looking at warehouse functionality \u2014 and not just capacity alone \u2014 including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-receiving\/\">warehouse receiving<\/a>\u00a0and put-away processes, you\u2019re given a holistic view of how to optimise warehouse capacity based on overall performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Setting and tracking&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-kpis\/\">warehouse KPIs<\/a>&nbsp;can help you find ways to optimise and improve warehouse operations, including capacity, by determining how efficient your team is at storing, fulfilling, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/inventory-replenishment\/\">replenishing inventory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"increase\">Increasing current warehouse capacity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your warehouse is currently at capacity, you\u2019re likely looking for ways to increase it.&nbsp;While there are ways to optimise the existing space of your warehouse, you of course can\u2019t increase it beyond what your facility can physically hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you\u2019re anticipating growth in the near future, it may be wise to prepare for increased capacity sooner than later. Therefore, you will need to have a good sense of future demand by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/inventory-management\/inventory-forecasting\/\">forecasting inventory<\/a>&nbsp;needs way in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find ways to increase current warehouse capacity, start by looking at your current&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/warehouse-setup\/\">warehouse setup<\/a>&nbsp;and look for opportunities to make improvements.&nbsp;Here are some questions to consider:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are you making the most of all your available space?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is it possible to use double-depth racking to save space?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are there other racking systems that would help you make optimal use of your warehouse space?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is it possible to adjust aisle width to make more room for storage without compromising operational efficiency and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-safety\/\">warehouse safety<\/a>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Would purchasing <a href=\"https:\/\/ecseco.com\/blog\/essential-warehouse-safety-equipment-your-business-needs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">essential warehouse safety equipment<\/a> allow you to make more use of your space?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you combine your shipping and receiving docks to make more room for storage?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will switching to a different type of packaging help optimise storage space?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you making the most of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-automation\/\">warehouse automation<\/a>&nbsp;to help with inventory storage and management?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to increase warehouse capacity is by going through the process known as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-slotting\/\">warehouse slotting<\/a>. This process is designed to help maximise space and make picking more efficient by storing and organising inventory based on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/how-to-find-sku-number\/\">SKU<\/a>\u00a0number, product type, or any other type of product characteristic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, slotting puts items that are ordered together close to one another to cut down on steps taken. And efficient slotting not only helps increase space, but it also improves inventory management processes and reduces warehousing costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While slotting can be a major project that takes time and continuous improvement, it can benefit your business and positively impact your bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, maximising space by trying to reorganize or consolidate certain aspects of the warehouse can be short-term solutions as you\u2019ve probably gotten to this place by growing \u2014 and most companies that find success will continue to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"manage\">Other options may be needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-growing-capacity-needs\">Managing growing capacity needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, increasing capacity isn\u2019t an option. If you expect your business to grow quickly, your best option in managing warehouse capacity is to partner with a 3PL, as purchasing land and leasing another or bigger warehouse can be very expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you have a long-term lease on your current warehouse, a 3PL may help you fulfil regional orders (or even domestic orders in other countries), taking a more hybrid approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 3PL like ShipBob offers&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/warehouse-as-a-service\/\">warehouse-as-a-service<\/a>&nbsp;solutions that takes time-consuming warehousing tasks off your plate. Partnering with a 3PL is the&nbsp;best choice for growing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/direct-to-consumer-brands-and-3pl\/\">direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands<\/a>&nbsp;that are anticipating increased capacity needs in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 3PL can also save you time and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/ecommerce-fulfillment\/fulfillment-costs\/\">fulfilment costs<\/a>, so you can focus your attention on business growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It works by connecting your online store(s) to a 3PL\u2019s technology, then shipping inventory to one or more fulfilment centre locations within the 3PL\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/logistics-network\/\">logistics network<\/a>. As your business grows, you can expand into more fulfilment locations and track&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/inventory-allocation\/\">inventory allocation<\/a>&nbsp;across your distribution network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many DTC brands partner with ShipBob, so they can&nbsp;reprioritize on what\u2019s most important by delegating warehousing and fulfilment to the experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sb\">Need more warehousing capacity? ShipBob can help!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Need more warehouse capacity? How about outsourcing all your warehouse management needs to ShipBob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With ShipBob, you never have to worry about managing a warehouse and optimising for space. With dozens of locations across the globe and an ever-growing network, we can grow with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At ShipBob, we don\u2019t just store your inventory; we help you figure out the best way to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/product-allocation\/\">allocate product<\/a>&nbsp;across our logistics network, so you can broaden your customer reach by shipping orders from multiple locations to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/ecommerce-shipping\/reduce-shipping-costs\/\">reduce shipping costs<\/a>&nbsp;and speed up transit times.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With ShipBob\u2019s advanced and user-friendly dashboard, merchants are given full visibility and transparency into fulfilment operations and can access insights \u2014 including warehousing costs \u2014 using the free&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/new-free-analytics-reporting-tool\/\">data and analytics reporting tool<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png?w=1280px\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12487\" data-responsive-img srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png?w=700px 650w, https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png?w=860px 768w, https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png?w=1180px 1080w, https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png?w=1400px 1280w, https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png?w=1600px 1440w\" fetchpriority=\"low\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/own-warehouse-to-3pl\/\">ShipBob partnered with a brand<\/a>&nbsp;that was already hitting $20 million in annual sales as they were preparing for a busy Black Friday\/Cyber Monday weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The brand decided to make the switch from their own warehouse to ShipBob for DTC orders to support their explosive growth. Over the BFCM weekend, ShipBob fulfilled more than 8,000 orders, with 2,500 orders fulfilled on a single day, while repurposing their current warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cThe transition to ShipBob also helped us refocus our in-house efforts. In our business, we have two main divisions \u2014 ecommerce and wholesale.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By turning over our entire&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/ecommerce-fulfillment\/\">ecommerce fulfilment<\/a>&nbsp;to ShipBob, it allowed our entire ecommerce fulfilment team to focus on wholesale, which has been a rapidly growing part of our business.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Want to get a glimpse inside how ShipBob works? Get a 3D behind-the-scenes look at one of our fulfilment centres:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ShipBob Fulfillment Center Guided Tour - 3D 360\u00b0 VR Video\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YdTbM4XlizY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By partnering with ShipBob, you can easily streamline fulfilment efforts, track inventory in real time from a single dashboard, and save time and money by leaving warehousing and fulfilment up to the experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get the process started by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/quote\/\">requesting custom pricing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/quote\/\"><strong>Request Fulfilment Pricing<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wms\">Optimise your warehouse&#8217;s capacity with ShipBob&#8217;s WMS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To optimise warehouse capacity, you need the right tech in place. ShipBob has a best-in-class warehouse management system (WMS) for brands that have their own warehouse and need help managing inventory in real time, reducing picking, packing, and shipping errors, and scaling with ease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/product\/wms\/\">ShipBob&#8217;s WMS<\/a>, brands with their own warehouse can even leverage ShipBob&#8217;s fulfilment services in any of ShipBob&#8217;s fulfilment centres across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia to improve cross-border shipping, reduce costs, and speed up deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/quote-plus\/\">Request WMS pricing here<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">Warehouse capacity FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span>Here are answers to the top questions about warehouse capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 class=\"single-faq-title\">Can you outsource warehousing?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div>\n\n<p><span>Yes, you can outsource warehousing to a 3PL like ShipBob. ShipBob not only stores your inventory, but also takes care of the fulfilment and shipping process for all kinds of orders. Once you connect your sales channels to ShipBob\u2019s technology, you can ship inventory to one or more of our fulfilment centre locations. Once orders are placed, they are automatically routed to the nearest fulfilment centre location to be picked, packed, and shipped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 class=\"single-faq-title\">How do you measure warehouse capacity?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div>\n\n<p><span>To measure warehouse capacity, get the square footage of your entire warehouse facility. Then, calculate the total amount of space being used for non-storage purposes such as offices, restrooms, loading areas, etc., and subtract the total amount of non-storage space from the total square footage of your warehouse to determine your warehouse usable space. The formula is as followed (all measure in square feet):\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<p><span>Usable Space = Total Space \u2013 Non-Storage Space<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p>Next, determine how much usable storage space you have from the ground up, i.e., find the maximum stack height or clear height. Multiply your maximum stack height (in feet) by your total usable space (in square feet) to find your storage capacity in cubic feet:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<p><span>Storage Capacity = Usable Space * Maximum Stack Height\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 class=\"single-faq-title\">How do you increase warehouse capacity?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div>\n\n<p>One of the best ways to increase warehouse capacity is by going through the process known as warehouse slotting, designed to help maximise space and make picking more efficient by storing and organising inventory based on product characteristic. But as your business grows, you will eventually max out on available warehouse capacity. Therefore, many fast-growing online brands will outsource warehousing needs to a 3PL, so they don\u2019t have to worry about increasing warehouse capacity, which can become a costly expense.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is warehouse capacity? For ecommerce, warehouse capacity refers to the amount of available space for storage, inventory preparation, and order fulfilment.&nbsp; To fully understand warehouse capacity, it\u2019s important to make a clear distinction between theoretical storage capacity and working capacity. While theoretical storage capacity refers to the physical capacity of the warehouse (both vertically [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":0,"parent":7927,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hub.php","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7930","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Warehouse Capacity 101: Calculate &amp; Increase Storage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to accurately calculate warehouse capacity and what to do next if you&#039;re experiencing rapid growth and limited warehouse space.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Warehouse Capacity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to accurately calculate warehouse capacity and what to do next if you&#039;re experiencing rapid growth and limited warehouse space.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ShipBob UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-25T23:05:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/\",\"name\":\"Warehouse Capacity 101: Calculate & Increase Storage\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/image-1-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-09T16:50:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-25T23:05:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how to accurately calculate warehouse capacity and what to do next if you're experiencing rapid growth and limited warehouse space.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/image-1-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/04\\\/image-1-1.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Warehouse Capacity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/\",\"name\":\"ShipBob UK\",\"description\":\"Just another ShipBob Network site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Warehouse Capacity 101: Calculate & Increase Storage","description":"Learn how to accurately calculate warehouse capacity and what to do next if you're experiencing rapid growth and limited warehouse space.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Warehouse Capacity","og_description":"Learn how to accurately calculate warehouse capacity and what to do next if you're experiencing rapid growth and limited warehouse space.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","og_site_name":"ShipBob UK","article_modified_time":"2025-08-25T23:05:13+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","name":"Warehouse Capacity 101: Calculate & Increase Storage","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png","datePublished":"2023-04-09T16:50:30+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-25T23:05:13+00:00","description":"Learn how to accurately calculate warehouse capacity and what to do next if you're experiencing rapid growth and limited warehouse space.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/image-1-1.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Warehouse Capacity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/","name":"ShipBob UK","description":"Just another ShipBob Network site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"WebPage","headline":"Warehouse Capacity","url":"http:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/warehouse-management\/warehouse-capacity\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Uncategorized","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nigel Stevens"}],"creator":["Nigel Stevens"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ShipBob UK","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2023-04-09T16:50:30Z","datePublished":"2023-04-09T16:50:30Z","dateModified":"2025-08-25T23:05:13Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"headline\":\"Warehouse Capacity\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.shipbob.com\\\/uk\\\/warehouse-management\\\/warehouse-capacity\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"\"},\"articleSection\":\"Uncategorized\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Nigel Stevens\"}],\"creator\":[\"Nigel Stevens\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"ShipBob UK\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2023-04-09T16:50:30Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-09T16:50:30Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-25T23:05:13Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/shipbob.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7930"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23661,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7930\/revisions\/23661"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}