A retail distribution centre has to hold thousands of SKUs with enough reserve stock for promotions, while warehouse land keeps getting more expensive. The common answer is high racking and a reach truck for retail: the truck reaches its forks into the rack, works in narrower aisles than a counterbalance truck and lifts to many rack levels.
The role of the reach truck in retail and wholesale warehouses
In a typical retail warehouse goods sit in two zones: the lower levels are pick faces, the upper levels hold full-pallet reserve stock. The reach truck handles two main flows:
- Put-away: taking pallets from the checking area to reserve locations high in the rack.
- Replenishment: bringing reserve pallets down to the pick level when a pick face runs low, so order pickers do not wait.
In wholesale, the share of full-pallet orders is higher, so the reach truck also takes pallets directly from the rack to the dispatch staging area. Slow replenishment leaves pickers below standing idle.
Challenges specific to the sector
Most retail goods are cartons on pallets, fairly light compared with industrial goods but bulky, so warehouses usually fill up by height before they reach weight limits. Beverages and boxed household chemicals, on the other hand, are heavy. Rack movements per hour rise sharply in peak season, so waiting time at the rack and placement accuracy directly affect throughput. Some wholesalers also trade long goods such as pipes, aluminium profiles and boards, which are hard to handle with ordinary trucks in an aisle.
STILL reach truck models for the sector
STILL FXR 14C – 18C: the economical choice for medium duty
STILL positions the STILL FXR 14C – 18C for medium-duty applications and lower usage frequency, naming wholesale, retail and logistics companies as examples. It handles 1400 to 1800 kg, lifts to almost eleven metres and travels at 12 km/h, suiting one- or two-shift operation. Curve Speed Control and speed limitation in main lift are standard, which helps when the warehouse brings in less experienced drivers for peak season. The integrated lithium-ion battery has quick-charging access.
STILL FM-X: for high-bay warehouses with heavy throughput
When a distribution centre has very high racks and runs several shifts, the STILL FM-X is designed for demanding applications with stacking heights of up to 14 metres. Residual capacity reaches 1,000 kg at 13 metres and 850 kg at 14 metres. Active load stabilisation damps mast oscillation at height and, according to STILL, cuts waiting time at the rack by up to 80 percent – significant for warehouses with many put-away and replenishment moves.
STILL FM-4W: for wholesalers of long goods
The STILL FM-4W travels forwards, backwards and sideways, making it particularly suitable for long goods alongside standard pallets. It lifts a total of 2,500 kg and raises 1,000 kg to 9.5 m. For wholesalers of materials, furniture or bulky household goods, a four-way truck brings long items into racks in narrow aisles.
If the site has outdoor racking or a storage yard, consider the STILL FM-X SE with super-elastic tyres and high ground clearance.
Reach truck selection by stage
| Stage | Type/model | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Put-away and replenishment in small to mid-size warehouses | STILL FXR 14C – 18C | Medium duty, 1–2 shifts, named by STILL for wholesale and retail |
| Very high reserve racking, multi-shift | STILL FM-X | Up to 14 m, active load stabilisation reduces waiting at the rack |
| Wholesale of long goods | STILL FM-4W | Four-way travel, carries long goods in narrow aisles |
| Outdoor racks, storage yards | STILL FM-X SE | Super-elastic tyres, high ground clearance |
Deployment tips
- Design rack height and aisle width together with the truck choice; see what is a reach truck.
- Check floor flatness before lifting high, as a poor floor affects stability at upper levels.
- Separate reach truck aisles from the low-level picking zone if pedestrian traffic is heavy.
- See the full range in the reach trucks category and other solutions on the retail & wholesale solutions page.
Frequently asked questions
Should a retail warehouse choose the FXR or the FM-X?
The FXR 14C – 18C suits medium duty, one or two shifts and racks up to around 11 metres. The FM-X is for higher racks, up to 14 metres, and intensive operation where waiting time at the rack has a big impact on throughput.
Can a reach truck load and unload lorries?
Reach trucks are optimised for indoor work on flat floors. Truck and container loading is better left to counterbalance forklifts or electric pallet trucks.
Do long goods such as pipes, profiles and boards need a special truck?
A four-way truck such as the FM-4W is recommended to carry long goods lengthwise along narrow aisles instead of turning them inside the aisle.
Need to work out rack height and the number of reach trucks? Send a request on the quote page or call 0902 63 79 70.