Working from home requires space, so small storage is on the rise

Big names like Shurrgard and Boxx are popping up more and more along the highway and in industrial areas. But smaller entrepreneurs are also seeing this trend and are starting to set up small storage in an empty garage, for example.

More and more companies to store

The number of small storage companies has grown exponentially in recent years, according to figures from the Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, 180 companies with fewer than 400 branches offered storage space for a fee.

This year, that number increased to 385. Together, these storage rental companies have more than 600 branches across the country.

Eric Stubbé, manager of Allsafe Rental Storage, told RTL Z: “During Corona, the demand for storage space has increased, and the underlying demand has been really good. More people are moving into town, space is being redistributed and more people are putting their belongings. The open air. “

Increasing demand for space

He says renting storage space is increasingly becoming a lifestyle. “Working from home has accelerated this, but there’s more to it. Older people are moving into the city because the care is better there, young people because there are more dynamics. And that means more demand for space in the urban environment.”

People find that space at Allsafe, among other things. The Stubbé chain now has 38 branches, with another 14 in development. They offer storage bins from one cubic meter (“the contents of 20 moving boxes fit there”) to 120 cubic metres.

“The average number of people is about 15 cubic metres,” Stobe said. “Often they start out a little smaller and grow into larger units.” He’s not afraid that the question will go away when working from home – forever – will pass again. “Because people keep moving to cities, we also see demand in the longer term.”

Storage companies are also located in the United States business boom. “Very few of these companies are listed,” says Jacob Schoenmaker, stock commentator at RTLZ. “And these are also big boys. The largest public storage space has a market capitalization of $60 billion.”

good business

Numbers two and three, Cubesmart and Extra Space Storage, also work well (see chart below). “They are profitable companies to invest in, given the returns since 2010,” says Schoenemaker.

In addition, the storage sector seems to care less about the economic situation, which makes these companies more attractive. Schoenmaker: “One in ten Americans now rents something like this for an average of $150 a month.” Very good trade.