Warehouse Layout and Equipment for Institutional Wholesale Grocers in Multiple-Occupancy Buildings in Food Distribution Centers

Excerpts from the report: This report is based on research to aid institutional grocery wholesalers in reducing their warehousing cost through efficient labor practices, layouts, and facilities. Of the grocery wholesalers locating on food distribution centers, some are too small to need a separate warehouse. These grocers share a building with other wholesalers. Some of the small wholesalers have experienced difficulty because of their improper selection of handling equipment and too much or too little space. The primary objectives of this study were: 1. To examine the handling equipment required for efficient operation. 2. To develop suitable layouts for various sizes of institutional grocery firms in multiple-occupancy buildings. 3. To determine the volume of grocery products that could be handled by these firms in specific amounts of space. 4. To examine the effect of volume on the decision to locate a wholesale grocery firm in a multiple-occupancy or a single-occupancy building. 5. To determine parking requirements for various sizes of firms in multiple-occupancy buildings. Warehouse operations were studied in 12 grocery firms to develop the material discussed in this report