Warehouse space shortages hit Slough hardest

Published by

Sam Pither

The shortage of available warehouse space is hitting businesses in Slough harder than anywhere else.

This is according to new research from end-to-end business and warehouse management solutions provider, OrderWise, which puts three South East locations in the top ten worst impacted, with Brighton and Reading taking the sixth and eighth spots respectively.

Researchers looked at the 50 most populated towns in the UK, cross-referencing data from Rightmove’s ‘commercial property to rent’ section against the number of businesses in each area.

Slough’s 2296 square feet of available space for 6660 registered businesses gives it 0.34 square feet per registered business. For reference, the next on the list, Cambridge, has around 4 times more available space at 1.41 square feet per registered business.

It is also a tenth of the space available in Brighton, which has 3.33 square feet per registered business; Reading has 4.73.

Sales Director at OrderWise, Jon Roberts, said: “While much of the industry attempts to return to something resembling normal, industrial businesses are continuing to deal with the hangover of COVID, Brexit and general supply chain issues that have been around for years.

“I think it’s important that businesses learn to work smarter with the space they have. This could be through automation or by investing in a warehouse management system that can help businesses to work smarter.

“There is no one size fits all, but efficiency certainly is key for businesses navigating the effects of warehouse space shortages - even in the areas with the most space it’s still vital that warehouse operations are efficient to control costs, maximise stock to increases sales and meet demand, and to help businesses meet their goals.”

Details of the full survey, including which locations have the most available space, can be found here.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.