Storage & warehousing businesses in Zambia

Service providers who provide storage facilities for short or long term periods can be found here. Goods are kept in a safe and secure environment, in lockable containers or warehouses. These companies will own warehouses which are commercial buildings for the storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs and are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. Some of these are fulfilment houses that specialize in product fulfilment services, on behalf of the product owner.

A manufacturer needs to keep adequate stock of raw materials to ensure smooth production. A trader has to maintain adequate stock of the products he sells to meet the demand. Maintenance of stocks of raw materials and finished products calls for storage. Storage helps to preserve goods at a particular place until these are required elsewhere.

Functions of Storage

• To preserve goods that are produced only during a particular season but are demanded throughout the year like agricultural goods.
• To preserve goods that are produced throughout the year but demanded during a particular season
• To preserve the quality of certain goods, which in the absence of proper storage will deteriorate.
• To enable businessmen to make a speculative gain, i.e., to wait and sell at a higher price.
• To protect goods from pests and insects.
• To ensure smooth production and distribution.

Advantages of warehousing

• It protects the goods until they are moved to the factory to be used in production or to the market for sale.
• It provides a place for goods that are received in bulk.
• It facilitates the easy sale of goods when it is located near the market.
• It facilitates the uninterrupted sale. ‘Out of stock’ situation is avoided.
• The ‘warehouse receipt‘ issued to a merchant, who has stored his goods in a public warehouse, also enables him to get financial assistance. A warehouse receipt is a document of title.
• It helps to equalize price by matching the demand and supply positions.
• It provides employment opportunities to many.
• Cold storage provides longer life to certain easily perishable items like fish, dairy products, etc.
• It facilitates the large-scale production of goods. The producer need not bother about storage.
• It is necessary to perform certain marketing activities like grading, packing, etc.

There are many warehousing and storage facilities in Zambia. They are listed here for you to find them.