Retail chain and wholesale warehouses run to the rhythm of store orders: goods arrive from many suppliers, stay briefly, then are broken down and regrouped for each outlet. Forklift solutions for retail & wholesale are therefore not about one truck type but about combining dock handling trucks, high-rack storage trucks, order pickers and internal transport.
Operational challenges in retail and wholesale warehouses
- Many SKUs, small orders: each store orders a little of many items, so picking takes most of the labour hours.
- Seasons and promotions: volumes spike before Tet, holidays and sales; the fleet has to flex.
- Concentrated delivery windows: lorries arrive on tight schedules and the dock backs up if unloading is slow.
- Varied goods: light cartons, bulky items and heavy drinks pallets in the same warehouse.
- Store deliveries: cramped premises, sometimes via lifts or pavements.
- Driver shortages: multiple shifts and peak seasons push demand for automation.
Summary: truck type – STILL model – application
| Truck type | STILL model | Application in the sector |
|---|---|---|
| Electric counterbalance forklifts | RX 20, RX 60, RCE | Truck loading at the dock, moving goods to staging |
| Reach trucks | FXR, FM-X, FM-4W | Put-away and replenishment for high racks |
| Stackers | EXV, EXD, ECV, EXV-SF | Store stockrooms, small wholesale sites, mid-height racking |
| Electric pallet trucks & hand pallet trucks | ECH, EXH, EXH-S, HPS/HPT | Cross-docking, deliveries to stores |
| Order pickers | OPX, OPX-L, OPX iGo neo, EK-X | Picking by store at low and high levels |
| Very narrow aisle (VNA) trucks | MX-X, NXV | High-density reserve storage in distribution centres |
| Tow tractors & platform trucks | LTX 20, LTX 50, LTX 70, LXW | Towing roll cage trains from picking to dock, yards |
| iGo automated trucks | AXL, AXV, EXV iGo, EXV-CB iGo, FM-X iGo | Automated truck loading, horizontal transport and put-away |
Diesel and LPG forklifts (RX 70, RCD) are rare in enclosed retail warehouses because of exhaust; consider them only for outdoor yards of building-materials or heavy-goods wholesalers. See the diesel & LPG forklifts category if your site needs them.
The operating chain and the right truck for each stage
Goods in: electric counterbalance or pallet trucks unload the lorry and take goods to the checking area. Storage: reach trucks for common high racking, VNA where high density is needed, stackers for small sites. Picking: low-level order pickers take cases by store, man-up trucks handle piece picking at height. Transfer and dispatch: tow tractors bring roll cage trains to the dock, electric pallet trucks load the lorries. Store delivery: hand pallet trucks and compact electric pallet trucks take goods into the back-of-store stockroom.
Repetitive, stable tasks such as truck loading or dock-to-staging transport are the first candidates for automation with iGo trucks, while the manual fleet handles exceptions and peaks.
Solution articles
- Electric forklifts for retail & wholesale
- Reach trucks for retail & wholesale
- Stacker trucks for retail & wholesale
- Electric pallet trucks for retail & wholesale
- Order pickers for retail & wholesale
- VNA trucks for retail & wholesale
- Tow tractors for retail & wholesale
- Automated trucks for retail & wholesale
Related services
- Maintenance and repair: keep the fleet ready before peak season.
- Forklift rental: add trucks for seasons and promotions.
- Fleet management: track utilisation to adjust truck numbers per stage.
- Operator training: shorten onboarding for seasonal staff.
Frequently asked questions
Which truck type should a retail warehouse start with?
Most sites need at least electric pallet trucks for the dock and one rack truck (a stacker or reach truck depending on height). Order pickers, VNA, tow tractors and automated trucks are added as order volume and floor area grow.
Should we buy extra trucks for peak season?
If the peak lasts only a few weeks, short-term rental is usually more sensible. Fleet management data shows which stage is genuinely short of trucks.
Are electric trucks enough for multi-shift warehouses?
Yes, with the right battery configuration. Lithium-ion allows opportunity charging during breaks, which suits multi-shift sites.
Need a forklift plan for a retail or wholesale warehouse? Send a request on the quote page or call 0902 63 79 70.