Warehousing units transformed into last-mile delivery hubs as online shopping demand soars
Feb 17, 2021
As the demand for click and collect and online shopping continues to soar, investors are turning their attention to retail warehouses near heavily built-up areas in a bid to transform them into last mile delivery hubs.
With the popularity of out of town retail parks set to continue post-Covid-19, many savvy portfolio owners are looking to secure warehousing space as delivery hubs to serve the needs for densely populated areas.
Despite a poor year for offline retail in 2020, 700 new delivery hubs were created where goods are stored for a shorter period of time before delivery or utilised for the return of items to a supplier.
As many of these delivery hubs rely on a constant flow of products coming in and out of the depot each day, Midland Pallet Trucks, a provider of high-quality material handling and lifting equipment including pallet trucks, manual stacker trucks and lift tables, is reminding omnichannel businesses and logistics managers to consider the needs of their employers working within these bustling hubs.
Midland Pallet Trucks has long since championed the role of the logistics sector and its contribution to driving economic recovery, but also warns that those working within the industry need to be further protected from the risk of workplace accidents and injuries.
As of last year, the number of days lost due to short and long term musculoskeletal disorders stood at just under 9 million with almost half a million workers having to take time off work due to injuries associated with lifting, carrying and repetitive actions.
Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Midland Pallet Trucks, said “The popularity of last mile delivery hubs is growing to feed the demand for online shopping and click and collect orders with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
“What is critical here is the health and safety of staff who find themselves under increased pressure to handle a high number of consignments each and every day. We are urging these newly transformed delivery hub owners to ensure that they have the right equipment to help safeguard workers against the risk of common workplace injuries and ensure that productivity targets are achieved.”
