Warehouse facts for kids

Behala in Berlin

The inside of a warehouse

A warehouse is a big building used to store things. Think of it like a giant storage box for businesses! Companies that make products, bring things into a country, send things out, or sell items in large amounts all use warehouses. Even transport companies and customs services use them.

Warehouses are usually large, simple buildings. You often find them in industrial areas of cities. They have special areas called loading docks. These docks make it easy to load and unload trucks. Sometimes, goods arrive directly by trains, from airports, or from seaports. Inside, warehouses often have big cranes and forklifts. These machines help move heavy items around. Most goods are placed on special wooden or plastic platforms called pallets. These pallets are then stored on tall pallet racks.

What is a Warehouse?

A warehouse is a commercial building. Its main job is to keep goods safe and organized. These goods can be anything from food and clothes to electronics and car parts. Warehouses are a key part of the supply chain. This means they help products get from where they are made to where they are sold.

Who Uses Warehouses?

Many different types of businesses use warehouses.

• Manufacturers store products they have just made.
• Importers keep goods that have arrived from other countries.
• Exporters hold products ready to be sent abroad.
• Wholesalers store large amounts of goods before selling them to shops.
• Transport businesses use them to sort and hold items during shipping.
• Customs services might use them to check goods entering or leaving a country.

How Warehouses Work

Modern warehouses are very organized. They use special systems to keep track of everything.

Receiving Goods

When goods arrive, they are checked in. Workers make sure the right items have been delivered. They also check for any damage.

Storing Goods

After checking, items are moved to their storage spots. Forklifts are often used for this. Goods are usually placed on pallets. These pallets are then stacked on tall shelves called pallet racks. Some warehouses have very tall racks. They might use special narrow-aisle forklifts.

Picking and Packing

When an order comes in, workers find the items. This is called "picking." The items are then prepared for shipping. This might involve putting them into boxes. This step is called "packing."

Shipping Goods

Finally, the packed orders are loaded onto trucks or other transport. They are then sent to their next destination. This could be a shop, another warehouse, or even a customer's home.

Types of Warehouses

There are different kinds of warehouses. Each type serves a specific purpose.

• Distribution Centers: These warehouses focus on quickly moving goods. They don't store items for very long. They are designed for fast turnover.
• Storage Warehouses: These are for long-term storage. They hold goods that are not needed right away.
• Cold Storage Warehouses: These are refrigerated. They store items that need to be kept cold. Examples include food, medicines, or flowers.
• Automated Warehouses: Some modern warehouses use robots and machines. These systems help move and store goods. This makes the process faster and more efficient.

History of Warehouses

Warehouses have been around for a very long time. People have always needed places to store extra food or goods.

• Ancient Times: The ancient Romans had large warehouses. They stored grain and other goods. These were often near ports. This made it easy to load and unload ships.
• Middle Ages: In the Middle Ages, buildings called Susts were used. These were common in places like Switzerland. They stored goods for trade routes.
• Industrial Revolution: The 18th and 19th centuries saw many new warehouses. These were built near factories and railway lines. They helped store the many new products being made.
• Modern Day: Today, warehouses are high-tech. They use computers and advanced machinery. This helps them manage millions of items.

Images for kids

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  Ruined warehouses in Ostia; an ancient Roman city

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  A Sust, a Middle Ages type of warehouse, in Horgen, Switzerland

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  An old storehouse with a bell in the village of Rågetsböle in Finström, Åland

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  19th-century warehouses in Gloucester docks in the United Kingdom, originally used to store imported corn

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  Aisle with pallets on storage racks in a modern warehouse

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  India House, Manchester.

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  The Pickles Building 101 Portland Street, Manchester