Multi-tier storage

In 2017, Boden moved into its new £30m 250,000 sq ft distribution warehouse in Leicestershire. Being close to their previous facility, Boden invited their 400 staff to relocate to the new premises; the retention of existing staff was a key factor in the location of the new warehouse.  

Apex provided a racking solution with a storage capacity for approximately 234,000 boxes and 4,900 linear metres of hanging garments, configured as follows:

• A grid of 8 blocks of racking, configured as a multi-tier storage system comprising a ground floor plus three-floor levels to a height of 13 metres.
• Each block of racking is separated by 3m wide aisles running the length and width of the structure. In order to future proof the structure, the aisles were designed to provide additional pallet storage on all levels, should the extra capacity be required. Even with pallet storage, the width of the aisles would still allow for a normal pick operation to be maintained.
• All blocks consist of 14 runs of 8 bays apiece, separated by a small walk-through halfway. By splitting the block into 2 smaller blocks of 4 bays, picker performance could be fully optimised through the creation of ‘pick zones’.
• Structural steel mezzanine floors were installed to form both end access aisles with the majority of the structure being rack-supported. 
• Wire mesh was fitted to external faces of the structure on floors 2,3 and 4. As per their request, Apex supplied the mesh finished in Boden’s 3 corporate colours, a tint per level with blue uppermost to visually ‘cool’ the busy working environment.
• Access into the structure itself is via 10 staircases, all of which are double flight open structures.
• The structure provides planned future capacity amounting to 108,000 carton locations – approximately the same capacity as Boden’s previous warehouses combined.