Retail Backroom Storage Solutions

At REB, we specialize in designing, managing, and installing storage and material handling systems that solve the unique challenges of retail backrooms such as limited space, a wide variety of SKUs, fast-paced fulfillment, restocking, and seasonal inventory.

Our experience spans home goods, apparel, sporting goods, grocery, and nationwide retail operations. We’ve completed thousands of retail backroom projects across all 50 states and know how to navigate the complexities of designing, permitting, and installing storage systems for backrooms.

Read further to learn more about REB’s retail backroom solutions.

Why Retail Clients Choose REB

Turnkey project management: We handle layout design, materials sourcing, freight, permitting (if required), and installation. That means one point of contact for the entire backroom build-out or refresh.

Tailored solutions for diverse inventory: Whether you store bulky home decor, apparel, or sporting goods, we customize shelving, racking, and picking solutions to match your SKUs and backroom footprint.

Maximized use of space: Through customized solutions such as static and mobile shelving, multi-level racking, and automation, we help retailers utilize all existing square footage.

Scalable, consistent nationwide service: For retailers operating multiple stores, REB delivers consistent quality and design standards, regardless of location. Our approach simplifies vendor management and streamlines store openings.

Retail Backroom Solutions — What We Offer

Rivet Shelving

For companies looking for a cost-effective and straightforward storage solution, boltless rivet shelving is often ideal. A standard unit consists of posts, horizontal beams, and decking. It is easily assembled and does not require nuts, clips, or bolts.

REB stores and ships rivet shelving from a central location, which ensures the safe and on-time delivery of materials to each retail location. It also allows REB to alter standard sized units prior to shipping so that they fit uniquely sized backroom spaces.

Why Rivet Shelving is Ideal for Retail Backrooms

Rivet shelving is ideal for retail backroom due to its strength and versatility. It offers a variety of beam options to accommodate light to heavy loads.

Beams can be installed at varying intervals to accommodate different SKU sizes, which removes wasted “air space” between the beams. Furthermore, beam heights can be adjusted at any time to account for changes in inventory.

Mobile Rivet Shelving

Rivet shelving mounted on mobile bases offers an efficient solution to the limited backroom space in retail stores. Mobile rivet shelving removes the need for fixed aisles between every row, allowing shelving units to be stored in a compact configuration. When access is needed, a single aisle is opened by simply turning a handle.

Why Mobile Rivet Shelving is Ideal for Retail Backrooms

By eliminating static aisle space, mobile rivet shelving can increase storage capacity by up to 80% compared to static shelving systems while still providing access to all inventory. This makes it an ideal option for maximizing storage in space-constrained retail backrooms.

SpeedCell

SpeedCell consists of high-strength fabric columns suspended within selective rack. Several columns can be hung within a selective rack unit, and each column consists of individual storage compartments with identification tags. Columns easily move from side to side for accessibility to rear columns.

For extra storage, wire decking can be installed on top of the selective rack unit, perfect for storing boxes of overflow items. Additionally, a hang bar can be installed behind the SpeedCell columns to provide storage of hanging garments.

Why SpeedCell is Ideal for Retail Backrooms

The combination of several rows of SpeedCell and several compartments in each column allows use of the full cube of a selective rack bay. It provides higher pick facings for 40-60% higher storage density compared to a standard rack unit.

Additionally, having SKUs divided into labeled cells provides organized, highly visible storage. This organization makes retail backrooms less chaotic and easier for employees to find products.

Selective Pallet Racking

Selective rack provides direct access to all stored pallets or cartons without the need to move others.

Additionally, selective rack is highly versatile and can be configured and reconfigured to fit various SKU sizes. Heights between beam levels can vary, even within the same row. For example, the lower bays of a row of selective can be small for piece picking, while the upper bays of that same row can be larger for pallet storage.

Why Selective Pallet Rack is Ideal for Retail Backrooms

Selective pallet rack is versatile, customizable, and strong. This combination makes it a staple in retail backrooms. It is often used to store various sized boxes for hand picking as well as bulk storage.

Additionally, selective rack is used to store products that require a unique storage setup. Selective rack is ideal for these types of tailored setups due to its ability to be easily customized.

REB has provided custom selective rack addons for retailers with unique needs, examples include:

• Beams fitted with custom welded hooks to store hanging products (i.e. baseball bats and baseball gloves).
• Selective rack bays fitted with wire mesh dividers to store items that may roll off the rack, such as balls.
• Selective rack fitted with wire mesh security doors.
• Selective rack fitted with peg boards on the uprights facing the main aisles for versatile and adjustable storage of hanging products.

Pick Carts

For easy and efficient transport of items to and from the backroom, REB supplies retailers with pick carts. There are many configurations and features that pick carts offer. Therefore, contacting a material handling product specialist that offers many lines of carts, such as REB, to sort through options to determine the pick cart that’s ideal for your operation is advised.

Why Pick Carts are Ideal for Retail Backrooms

Because of the variety of pick carts available there are options to make every retail operation more efficient.

For example, wire pick carts are ideal for retail operations because they provide durability and high visibility of products on the cart. Wire picking carts can have two or more shelf levels. This allows pickers to pick multiple products at once, reducing travel time. Open wire carts are used to transport bulky items and boxes, while enclosed wire carts are used to transport items that are at risk of falling off during transportation.

Ladder carts are also advantageous for retail operations. Ladder carts combine a cart with a ladder so that employees can easily pick products from upper levels of the storage system.

Storage Bins

For efficient storage of items on any storage system in a backroom REB supplies retailers with storage bins. There are bins of all sizes and configurations available, making them an ideal solution for any retailer.

Why Storage Bins are Ideal for Retail Backrooms

Bins are a cost-effective and versatile item that can improve retail backroom storage in many ways. With the vast array of options available, there are options fit for all types of backrooms storage systems.

For example, bins can be used to keep SKUs separated, creating a neater backroom. Several sized bins can be utilized to ensure the highest storage density and selectivity. Keeping items in designated bins helps improve employees’ picking speeds, resulting in overall improved operations.

Additionally, bins can keep fragile items safe within a storage system.

Backroom Automation

Retailers are increasingly using automation to expedite the picking process in the backrooms of high-traffic stores. Innovative backroom designs that include automation provide the highest storage density and throughput possible in a confined backroom footprint.

Conveyors, for example, can be used to transport picked items to the online order pickup area. This increases the number of items able to be picked and transported to the online order pickup area.

A vertical lift module (VLM) is an automated option that drastically increases storage density – up to 90% compared to traditional pallet racking. This increased density combined with its ability to store items of various sizes makes it a great option for confined spaces of retail backrooms.

A VLM is an enclosed system of vertically arranged trays with an extractor device operating in the center. VLMs automatically deliver trays with the stored items to an access window with a push of a button or a scan of a barcode.

Advantages of Using REB for Your Retail Operation

• Optimized storage density: Whether your backroom is compact or spacious, REB’s solutions make the most of every vertical foot and square inch.
• Faster picking and restocking: Defined SKU locations and customized storage solutions reduce wasted time and improve throughput.
• Flexibility for diverse inventories: From bulk boxes to loose apparel, fragile home decor to sporting goods — REB can design around your product mix.
• Simplified project management: One partner, one project manager, one installation team for all project locations nationwide.
• Scalable and standardized: Standardized systems across multiple stores deliver consistent performance, while tailored layouts ensure site-specific optimization.

Retail Backroom Case Study Highlights

1. Athletic Apparel Retailer – National Rollout

• • Using SpeedCell, rivet shelving, and wire carts, REB increased storage density by 40–60% versus traditional selective rack systems.
  • Implementation across 16 locations in six states standardizes storage and picking processes, improves pick rates, reduces restock times, and raises overall efficiency.
  • Click to read the full case study.

2. Sporting Goods Retailer – Countrywide Backrooms

• • REB provides selective pallet rack, mobile rivet shelving, static shelving, pick carts, and dock bumpers/seals tailored to the retailer’s diverse SKUs. SKUs include balls, bats, golf clubs, apparel, and other sports gear.
  • Mobile shelving adds valuable storage density in stores with limited backroom square footage. Selective racks include custom hooks, dividers, and peg boards to efficiently store assorted items.
  • By working with REB as their single vendor nationwide, the retailer saves time, reduces costs, and ensures consistent backroom standards.
  • Click to read the full case study.

3. Home Decor Retailer – High-Traffic Flagship Store

• • REB designed a two-level pick module with a catwalk rack system, spiral conveyor, and vertical lifts (VRCs) to move full pallets or cartons between levels.
  • This solution delivered 38,268 cubic feet of storage capacity, utilizing nearly the full vertical cube of the backroom.
  • Automated tote transport supports up to ~41 totes per minute, enabling high throughput and rapid fulfillment.
  • Click to read the full case study.

4. Home Goods Retailer – Nationwide Rivet Shelving

• • REB deployed rivet shelving across 278 projects in 36 states and Canada — handling design, supply, installation, and on-time delivery to each store.
  • By customizing each shelving unit to fit store-specific layouts (shelf spacing, dimensions, orientation), the retailer maximized storage utilization and accommodated a rotating seasonal inventory.
  • Click to read the full case study.

5. National Retailer – Selective Rack Parts Stocking and Distribution

• • REB became the retailer’s primary stocking and distribution partner for selective rack replacement components used across thousands of retail backrooms nationwide.
  • By maintaining an approved catalog, managing inventory levels, and integrating with platforms such as SAP Ariba and ServiceChannel, REB ensured streamlined ordering, visibility, and procurement compliance.
  • This solution provided reliable parts availability, reduced fulfillment delays, kept retail backrooms fully operational, and reduced fulfillment delays, especially during peak demand and audit periods.
  • Click to read the full case study.

6. Growing Retailer – Rivet Shelving and Track Ladders for Backroom Storage

• • REB served as the single project management source for rivet shelving and track ladders across the retailer’s rapidly expanding backroom network, covering 590 installations.
  • REB managed all vendor sourcing, product procurement, freight logistics, and labor, providing one point of contact to streamline rollout and ensure each store’s backroom was ready before opening.
  • Since 2009, this full-service partnership has increased storage selectivity and density while simplifying operations for the retailer’s backrooms across 35 states.
  • Click to read the full case study.

7. Supermarket Chain – Backroom Rivet and Wire Shelving Nationwide

• • REB provides turnkey project management, product procurement, stocking, and shipping for rivet shelving, wire shelving, wire decking, and post protectors across the supermarket chain’s numerous backroom locations.
  • By serving as the single point of contact and leveraging its 100,000 sq ft central stocking facility, REB handled all materials, logistics, and labor. This includes customized shelving to fit unique backroom spaces and bulk ordering to optimize cost and lead times.
  • Since April 2012, REB has completed 6,247 installations across 40 states, helping the retailer increase selectivity and storage density by enabling vertical utilization of inventory and improved backroom efficiency.
  • Click to read the full case study.

Optimize Your Retail Backroom Space with REB

If you’re ready to rethink and optimize your retail backroom storage, REB’s team of material handling experts is ready to help. From initial layout design to nationwide rollouts, we offer the products, services, and expertise to transform your backroom into a high-performance storage and fulfillment space.

We’d appreciate the opportunity to help you further, whether that be more information or a quote. Fill in the contact form on this page or call us at (800) 252-5955 to get in touch with a REB representative.