More businesses seek air-conditioned storage spaces to protect goods amid unpredictable weather

UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS

Mr Wong said a key reason for the demand is the increasingly unpredictable weather.

Under erratic hot and humid conditions, some goods, such as leather products, electronics, clothes and sealed food, may not last and can get moldy, he noted.

“Sometimes, customers will expect their goods to be kept in a very pristine condition,” he added. 

Work+Store will add six times more air-conditioned storage – or the size of six basketball courts – by the end of next year.

With climate-controlled storage spaces currently in low supply, another provider Storefriendly is also seeing a jump in demand for its cool storage spaces.

The self-storage solutions firm said enquiries for such units, which are kept at 23 degrees Celsius for 24 hours daily, have more than doubled over the last six months.

Storefriendly CEO Jes Johansen told CNA that current weather conditions are driving the higher demand. 

“I do think the wet weather these days has an impact, because it’s just so apparent. We see it outside all the time right now,” he added.

The growing need for climate-controlled storage is spilling over to products such as wine, which needs an even cooler 13 degrees Celsius.

“If things are stored for a very long time, then air conditioning – and the decrease in humidity and all that – is a great benefit for long-term storage,” said Mr Johansen. 

Storefriendly has plans to double its number of locations to 14 in two years.