Wholesale Storage Optimization That Keeps Space, Labor, and Costs Under Control

Wholesale storage problems show up when inventory is technically available but practically unusable. SKUs are spread across too many locations, fast movers get buried behind slow stock, and teams spend time hunting for product instead of picking it. From the brand side, it looks like the warehouse is full and busy, yet orders still take longer to build and ship.

As wholesale volume grows, storage decisions start shaping cost and performance more than square footage alone. Poor slotting increases travel time, misaligned pallet storage forces rework, and excess buffer stock consumes space meant for active inventory. Labor gets pulled into unnecessary movement, and rent rises without a matching increase in throughput. The warehouse holds more product, but moves less of it efficiently.

Wholesale storage optimization is about arranging inventory so space supports flow instead of fighting it. When SKUs are positioned based on order patterns, pallet profiles, and replenishment cadence, picking speeds up, staging clears faster, and capacity stretches further. Storage stops being a constraint and becomes one of the levers that keeps wholesale operations predictable as volume increases.

Why wholesale storage optimization matters

Wholesale is built on cartons, pallets, multi-PO orders, and retailer-specific sequencing. Storage is not just about fitting things into a building. It is about putting the right things in the right places so replenishment, picking, and staging happen without chaos. When storage is optimized, labor drops, accuracy rises, and retailers stop sending angry compliance notes.

Joel Malmquist, VP of Customer Experience at G10, summarized the stakes. "If you do not do it right, you get those massive chargebacks." Inefficient storage often snowballs into accuracy issues that become penalties.

Where wholesale storage usually breaks down

Storage collapses when warehouses treat layout as a one-time project instead of a living system. SKUs change, pallet counts shift, seasons rotate, and promotions arrive. If the warehouse does not adapt, high-velocity items end up buried, pallets get mis-slotted, picks get longer, and staging becomes a mess.

Connor Perkins, Director of Fulfillment, sees this constantly. "One of the pain points our clients have experienced with previous 3PLs is inventory accuracy. Maybe their previous 3PL was not great at picking the orders accurately. So they were losing money by shipping wrong items or wrong quantities of items." Poor storage layout drives these accuracy problems.

Why D2C-first 3PLs fail at wholesale storage

D2C storage focuses on small bins, individual units, and order velocity. Wholesale requires pallet lanes, case integrity, strategic slotting, and room for staging multi-PO shipments. D2C-first systems simply cannot support the spatial and structural logic wholesale needs.

Bryan Wright, CTO and COO, explained the systems difference. "A bad WMS will not track inventory 100 percent. A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point you touch it." Storage optimization depends on that visibility.

How slow communication disrupts storage planning

Storage strategy relies on timely updates about incoming POs, program changes, and SKU transitions. Many 3PLs communicate slowly, leaving teams to react instead of prepare. That leads to rushed reorganizations that create more problems than they solve.

Joel sees this often. "At some 3PLs you get thrown into a ticketed queue, and you get different people replying every time. It can take days, if not weeks, to get a resolution." Storage plans cannot wait for slow answers. At G10, response time is built in. "You call one person. That is it. And things get done," Joel said.

What strong wholesale storage optimization looks like

True optimization blends SKU velocity, carton dimensions, pallet patterns, pick frequency, retailer requirements, and replenishment cycles. High-velocity SKUs stay close to pick lines. Seasonal items get strategic placement. Pallets slot into stable positions. Mixed-case picks flow without bottlenecks. Storage becomes an efficiency engine, not an afterthought.

Connor emphasized the importance of preparation. "When we onboard a client who sells into places like Amazon or Walmart, the process changes depending on where they are selling. We work through all of their routing guide requirements and make sure the warehouse is ready before the first order ever drops."

Wholesale storage optimization under pressure at G10

Storage efficiency is tested most during peak seasons and large inbound surges. Weak operations drown in pallets. Strong operations adapt quickly.

Joel recalled a late Target shipment that required rapid reorganization. "Our supervisor, warehouse manager, and several employees worked the entire day into the night, then came back at 5 a.m. to make sure we had the routing completed." Storage adjustments kept the workflow clean.

During a viral D2C spike, warehouse space tightened, but wholesale priorities stayed stable. "The client asked, Can you help us? And we said, Yeah, we gotcha. Then we sent a truck to the carrier at midnight." Space remained functional because slotting and storage were disciplined.

The bottom line for wholesale brands

Wholesale storage optimization determines whether your warehouse runs smoothly or becomes a maze. When storage supports velocity, accuracy, and retailer requirements, the entire operation becomes more predictable and profitable.

If you want storage optimization that supports growth instead of bottlenecking it, reach out to G10. You will get strategic layouts, real-time visibility, and an operation built to handle wholesale complexity.