Warehouses

A Warehouse or Godown is a commercial building used for the storage of different varieties of goods. It is used by manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, exporters, transport businesses, customs, etc. It is a large plain building in the industrial areas of cities. Usually it is situated away from the city but it may be in the heart of city.

A Commercial Property
If you own a business and is a manufacturer or a supplier or a exporter then having a warehouse or godown is a must from the business point of view. But if you don't own a business, even then warehouses or godowns may be a good option. They are sources of extra income. They bring handsome rentals and are a beneficial commercial property.

Recent Development: Warehouses cum Retail Stores
The new marketing strategies have seen the development of warehouses cum retail stores. These stores have very high ceilings and the decorative shelving is replaced by tall heavy duty industrial racks. Those goods, which are ready for sale are placed in the bottom parts of the racks while the crated or palletized and wrapped inventory items are placed in the upper racks. The most important thing about them is that the same building is used both as a retail store and a warehouse.

Tips for Buying a Warehouse/ Godown
Before buying a warehouse or godown from commercial point of view, you should take care of certain points, which will prove beneficial in future.

• The location of the warehouse is the most important thing. It should be located within the industrial area. If the godown is near to airport, seaport, or railway stations then it will fetch maximum earnings. However the price of warehouses at such premium locations will be definitely higher but the incomes are even higher.
  
  
• Infrastructure of a warehouse is also important because a proper infrastructure will enhance the value of your go-down and your earnings as well.

Features of Warehouses

• They are fitted with loading docks to load and unload trucks. Sometimes they are loaded directly from railways, airports, or seaports.
  
  
• Many warehouses have cranes and forklifts for moving goods.
  
  
• The modernized warehouses are fully automated with almost no workers inside.
  
  
• The goods and pallets are moved with a system comprising of automated conveyors and automated storage and retrieval machines. These systems are controlled and coordinated by programmable logic controllers and computers running logistics automation software.
  
  
• The automated warehouses are generally refrigerated to protect the goods from spoiling as well as for proper running of computer systems.