In this video Sam Anderson, founder of Order Fulfillment Experts (Oofex/Ophex), explains how pickable storage pricing works and why his company's rates are dramatically cheaper than industry norms. He describes the physical dimensions of their racks (180 cm × 60 cm × up to 2 m, yielding 2.16 m³ of genuine pickable space) and shows how a £60 per‑rack monthly fee translates to roughly £27 per cubic metre. He contrasts this with typical industry pricing models—bin‑based (£1.50 per bin ≈ £150 /m³), shelf‑based (£4‑£5 per shelf), or per‑pick‑face charges—and notes that the sector average sits between £90‑£150 /m³. Anderson then outlines a bundled £250 per‑rack service that includes storage, picking, packing, packaging, postage, couriers, and optional extra tasks, equating to about £116 /m³, still well below market rates. He emphasizes the fundamental difference between pickable storage (designed for fast, accurate e‑commerce order fulfillment) and palletised bulk storage, explaining why the former commands higher value despite lower volume‑based pricing. Additional features such as configurable shelves, temperature‑controlled zones for sensitive products, and insurance options are highlighted. The video concludes with a call to action for interested brands to comment, subscribe, or contact Oofex for more details.
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£27 per cubic meter versus £150— which would you choose? Hi, I'm Sam Anderson, the founder of Order Fulfillment Experts, and today I'm going to show you exactly how storage pricing works and, and how you can maximize every cubic meter of space, and why we've structured our pricing to help both you and us grow together. So let's talk about the racks you can see behind me. Each one is 180 centimeters wide, 60 centimeters deep, and we can store up to 2 meters high. I'm 1.75 meters, so we can go, as you can see, a lot higher than that. But it gives you, on that basis, 2.16 cubic meters of genuinely pickable space. Not palletized, can't compare it with that, as you can't pick off pallets efficiently, especially if there are mixed SKUs on one pallet. That means your stock is accessible, it's counted, it's ready to move, which is essential for e-commerce. Commerce brands where speed and accuracy are absolutely everything. So we can configure these racks however you may need. You can add as many shelves as you want or as few as you want, with a minimum of 2. So one at the base to keep goods off the floor for insurance purposes, and the second just to support the structure. Some clients go for 6 or 8 shelves to maximize the small pick faces, while others use the racks as open space for bulky items, although we do have container storage for that. So for temperature-sensitive products like cosmetics, we also offer a temperate zone downstairs that's perfect for maintaining consistent ambient temperature. Okay, so let's talk money. At Oofex, we charge £60 per rack per month. That gives you 2.16 cubic metres at the very least of genuine pickable space. We do store pre-prepared kitted items or extra stock much higher than that, and they can then be replenish the, replenish the pick faces. If you have a look at supermarkets, their top shelves next time you go in, you'll see that they do exactly the same thing. £60 per rack, which works out at roughly £27 per cubic metre per month. Now here's how a lot of fulfillment houses actually structure their pickable storage pricing. They'll charge you by the bin, for example, so £1.50 per month for a bin holding around 10 litres, which scales up to about £150 per cubic metre if you needed that same volume. Or they'll charge by they'll price by the shelf. So for example, £4, £5 per month per shelf. Some will charge you for every single pick face which you use, which really adds up if you've got a really wide SKU range into the thousands. And remember, industry standards for pickable rack or bin storage generally sits between £90 and £150 per cubic metre square per month across the UK and Europe. So our basic storage rate is dramatically more cost-effective. The interesting question is why. So we're not a warehouse for dusty slow-moving moving goods. We partner with brands whose products are moving or at least have a really decent growth trajectory, and that's why we have a minimum monthly spend of £250 per rack. I spoke about this in a previous video which gave a general overview on pricing. The £250 per rack per month gives you your— includes your goods in, your storage, all your picking, all your packing, all your packaging, all the postage, all the couriers, and any special requests. We don't charge management fees like most fulfillment houses, but we do charge for the tasks you ask us to to accomplish outside of those activities I've just covered. So the £250 per rack per month equates to about £116 per cubic meter per month, which is still far more cost-effective than the industry standards here in the UK of around £150 per cubic meter for true pickable storage. So we can't compare storage space with palletized storage space. They are two very different things, and I'll come back to that and explain in more detail why. But the point I'm trying to make is that compared to industry standards, our rate is dramatically more cost-effective while still providing the right infrastructure, not just to keep your stock moving efficiently, but build your brand and also help you grow. So that one thing I do hear a lot is people trying to compare pallet storage rates with pickable space. Now let's be clear, pallet storage is not pickable storage. Pallets are great for stacking things in bulk. You can stack really high using pallets. Bulk palletized storage facilities, and that's why you get such great rates, because you're effectively just paying for the footprint that it takes up. But you can't pick from, you know, certainly not hundreds of daily orders off a pallet without breaking it down, reshuffling, risking mistakes and long delays. So proper pickable racking is designed for speed and accuracy and for scale. It really is the only sensible way to run a high-volume fulfillment operation. So Our Pickable Storage Racking offers you so flexible shelf configurations to handle product launches and seasonal stock, temperature-controlled zones for heat-sensitive goods like cosmetics and supplements, and included with it is an umbrella insurance policy with the option to share all the details with your own insurer if you'd like a belt and braces approach. But I'll cover the rather important and perhaps a little less exciting topic of insurance in another video. At Ophex, we really are committed to working with just a select portfolio of customers who we can truly offer a best-in-class service. So if you'd like to learn more, drop a comment below, or please don't hesitate to reach out. And don't forget to subscribe for more behind-the-scenes, no-fluff fulfillment videos. Thank you for watching. Bye for now.
