How to Shelve & Store Your Online Inventory PART 1: Picking Shelving for Storage

Posted by Big Brand Wholesale.com on 11th Mar 2020

One of the most common questions we are asked is "How do I create an inventory storage system for my online store website?". Today I will show you a very simple method that will help you pull the correct items quickly! Let's get started...

First you need some kind of shelving. You can get shelves like these on Amazon for around $24 if you're on a mega-budget:

Or, get a better shelf for around $32 - $36 (on Amazon):

If you don't like Amazon or want to get the shelf right now, Home Depot has awesome shelves that are really great quality but a little more expensive

HOWEVER, if you sign up for Mr.Rebates (100% Free) you'll earn 1-3% cash back on your purchase so you can buy it online and choose "pickup in store today".

Or, if you have a few extra bucks, the best deal is going to be to get an actual shelving storage unit like this:

If you are really, really broke there's several other options:

Garage Sales!!! You can usually find shelving at yard sales super cheap!
Thrift Stores
Going Out Of Business Sales - Look for companies that are closing. During their final week(s) of closing they will liquidate all of their fixtures and shelving really, super cheap
Craigslist
FreeCycle!
Facebook For Sale
Seriously, just drive around different neighborhoods on trash day. Especially if you drive to more upscale areas you can score some truly fantastic stuff! Make sure you set your alarm to head out EARLY because other people also "trash pick" for a living.
You can essentially make a super nice shelf for near-free. Find a local business who has pallets laying around and ask if you can have some. Most businesses will be happy for you to take them. All you need now is a box of wood screws, a saw and a drill. Here's a super cool shelf that someone made from used pallets:

CONSIDERATIONS:

The size of your merchandise will help determine the space needed for each shelf.

If you mostly sell small things you can have shelves that are closer together. If you sell larger items you will have to have shelves with more height. If you're not sure what the future holds, consider getting ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT shelving:

Adjustable shelves are usually very high quality and will last you forever. A shelf like the one above is around $50 on Amazon. If you work from home, another option is to use a Closet Organization System. These are great if you need to maximize space AND want to be able to adjust your shelf heights. Systems like this:

Can usually be combined with more of the same, or similar. So you can buy more pieces as you grow. You are also able to use this in combination with ground-shelving or store more stuff under it:

Keep in mind, with a closet system like the one shown above you will have to put many wall anchors in, so if you rent your home / apartment, you may want to get permission first.

NEXT, Read Part 2: How to Label Inventory Storage Shelving

or, check out our other Amazon & eCommerce detailed guides: