A new report has revealed the scale of Britain’s looming warehousing challenge, with investment management firm Savills estimating that an additional 3 million square metres of storage space will be required in the next seven years. Driven by a £40 billion annual uplift in defence spending and compounded by the surge in e-commerce and onshoring, demand for warehouse space is set to rise steeply – piling pressure on rents that have already almost doubled since the pandemic.
For businesses already grappling with razor-thin margins, these spiralling property costs mean operational efficiency has never been more important. Pallet Truck Shop, the UK’s largest supplier of pallet and sack trucks, remains a crucial ally to firms seeking to offset rising overheads by improving productivity on the warehouse floor.
“Warehousing is about to get more expensive, and companies will need to look closely at every lever they can pull to remain competitive,” said Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Pallet Truck Shop. “While rents and build costs are largely beyond a business’s control, the efficiency of day-to-day operations is not. The right manual handling equipment is a proven way to cut wasted time and effort, reduce the risk of injury, and keep goods moving smoothly – all of which translates to lower running costs.”
With hundreds of additional warehouses needed to meet Britain’s defence and retail demands, the pressure to do more with less space and higher overheads will intensify. In this environment, accessible tools such as pallet trucks, stackers and lift tables are vital. By enabling staff to move, store, and process goods with minimal physical strain, businesses can increase throughput without costly investment in complex automation.
“Technology like robotics has its place, but it is not always feasible, particularly for SMEs,” Chesworth added. “Simple, reliable kit like pallet trucks remain one of the most cost-effective ways of keeping operations lean, flexible, and resilient. In a climate where warehouse rents are climbing, that kind of efficiency is not a nice-to-have, it’s essential.”
As Britain gears up for a warehousing boom, Pallet Truck Shop is reminding businesses that keeping overheads down starts with the basics in what will be an increasingly high-pressure sector.