What's in store

摘要

A time traveller from the 1980s would probably be baffled by the colourful and shiny self-storage sheds that now garnish the UK's arterial roads. Thirty years ago the industry was largely confined to the US, and the thought of paying to store one's excess possessions rather than boxing them up in an attic or garage would have seemed absurdly extravagant. However, whether it's because we have more stuff or less space to store it in, self-storage is now a well-established business on this side of the Atlantic. The Self Storage Association UK (SSA UK) estimates there are now 1,077 such sites scattered around the country, representing around 37.6m sq ft of storage space. In 2015 that figure increased by some 1.9m sq ft and SSA UK chief executive Rennie Schafer expects the industry to expand by a similar degree in 2016. "2015 was a good year for the industry in every measure. It had significant growth and improved occupancy rates and revenues," he says. "The returns for the first half of 2016 have been good and occupancy rates have been holding if not increasing in most locations.