Storage services booming

The demand from individual clients is new for warehouses, and business is up by up to 20 times

Since the lockdown was announced, startups have vacated working spaces and people have moved out of rented apartments.

As the world slows down, storage providers are coming into the picture. Their business is booming like never before.

Migrant professionals have stored their belongings with storage providers and gone home, expecting to come back soon.

Sudhindra Subbarao, CEO and co-founder, StowNest Storage, says of 1,700 enquiries since May, 1,400 were for home storage.

“We also received 150 calls for storage of items belonging to startups. Our business has boomed by 20 times since the lockdown. Most customers are asking for storage till December or for a year,” he notes.

Household, business and box storage are the most popular options.

“Individuals moving to their hometown, companies adopting a remote work model, and businesses paused till market demand is back are among the reasons cited by customers,” he says.

Items stored include furnitures, electronic appliances, clothes, utensils, luggage, paintings and gym equipment.

Among the business clients are dental clinics, PG and dormitories, art schools, and offices of all kinds.

This has led to discounts and perks in packages too. “We are providing one month rental free for people using storage beyond six months. We are also providing free pickup to customers seeking storage for 12 months or more,” he says.

MyRaksha, another storage provider in Bengaluru, has seen high demand since last month. Lokesh, manager, says that he gets eight to 10 enquiries every day.

“Demand for storage space has increased by 70 per cent, of which residential and domestic needs contribute a major share. Startups are also enquiring about space,” he says.

The company charges on the basis of volume, with the minimum being Rs 750 a month for a 4x4 ft wooden pallet, which can accommodate seven to 10 cartons.

The most common requests are for 50 to 100 sq ft space, priced at about Rs 3,500 per month.

Storagians, which has household, business and automobile storage, has seen a surge in demand in domestic storage.

Prasanna Kumar B, director and founder, says business has increased by 10 fold since the lockdown.

“Household items form a big chunk. Many professionals and students in PGs have gone back to their hometowns,” he says.

Almost 50 per cent of the new household storage customers are IT professionals.

“Among our new customers, around 80 per cent are for household storage, and 20 for business storage,” he explains.

They offer end-to-end operations: they reach the customer’s house with packing material, labour and transport.

The rent varies for items moved from 1 BHK (Rs 3,000) and 2 BHK (Rs 5,000), and commercial is charged Rs 40 per square feet.

IT companies, gyms using

Kenny Fernandez, owner of warehousing company Alpha Ace, says IT companies are requesting space to store their computers and hardware for three to six months.

“We used to get IT companies as clients when they were disposing of their equipment and awaiting confirmation. We have furniture companies and gyms as new clients,” he told Metrolife.

Storage requests for just a few months are new for Alpha Ace, as clients earlier sought longer-term storage. “These new clients are uncertain about continuing their businesses, and they want time to take a decision,” he says.

Some storage providers

StowNest Storage: 80888 87750

Storagians: 99000 56394/95

Alpha Ace: 99020 986467

MyRaksha: 88802 00200