Comparison · · Shelving and Racking
Wire shelving for stockrooms and chillers: tiers, loads and finishes
Wire shelving is from £24 ex VAT, bulk price for a five tier unit, and a double sided steel frame unit for heavier cases is from £36 ex VAT, bulk price. The open deck drains and lets air through, so it suits chillers, bakery rooms and stockrooms where a solid shelf traps damp. The number that decides the order is the load: light duty wire is rated in tens of kilos, not hundreds.
What does wire shelving do better than a solid shelf?
Wire shelving is an open mesh or basket deck on a light steel frame. Air moves through it, spills drain instead of pooling, and light from the aisle still reaches the tier below. That is why it ends up in chillers, bakery back rooms, wash down areas and stockrooms where a solid steel shelf traps damp and crumbs.
It is also the quickest way to add tiers for the money. The shelving and racking range lists 26 models from £23 ex VAT, bulk price, and a five tier basket wire shelving unit is from £24 ex VAT, bulk price.
The limit is load. Light duty wire is rated in tens of kilos rather than hundreds: the light duty five tier wire rack in the range is rated at 60 kg. Cases of ambient grocery, bagged lines, trays and packaging are what it is for. Pallet loads, drums and tinned stock stacked deep belong on a steel frame unit or in a stacking cage.
Tiers, depth and load: the three numbers that decide the order
Tier count comes from the case height of your fastest line, not from the catalogue photo. Five tiers only earn their place if your cases fit between them with a hand above to lift one out. Four taller tiers beat five you cannot reach into.
Depth is the figure buyers get wrong. A single sided unit against a wall gives up less floor than a double sided run down the middle of a stockroom, and the floor you give up is the gangway your staff and roll cages need. Mark the footprint out in tape before you order, then walk a loaded trolley past it.
Load is the third figure, and the question to ask is whether the rating quoted is per shelf or for the whole unit. A unit rated for the whole frame can still bend a single tier if everything heavy goes on one shelf. Put the weight low and keep the top tier for light and bulky stock.
If the stock moves rather than sits, buy wheels at the start. The multi layer wire basket shelf on castors is from £24 ex VAT, bulk price, and it saves staff carrying cases from the back room to the aisle by hand.
Four wire shelving and steel frame units compared
| Unit | Tiers | Deck | Price from | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five tier basket wire shelving | 5 | Wire baskets | from £24 ex VAT, bulk price | Stockroom and shop floor, loose and bagged lines |
| Wire basket shelf on castors | 5 | Wire baskets | from £24 ex VAT, bulk price | Stock that moves between back room and aisle |
| Bakery, snack and produce wire display | 4 or 5 | Wire mesh | from £34 ex VAT, bulk price | Customer facing bread, confectionery and impulse lines |
| Double sided steel frame shelving | 1 to 7 levels | Solid steel | from £36 ex VAT, bulk price | Heavier ambient cases and full gondola runs |
Read the table as two decisions rather than four products. The deck decides the room: wire where there is damp, crumbs or a need to see stock at a glance, solid steel where cases are heavy and the face has to look flat and tidy. The frame decides the price, and the gap between a wire unit and a double sided steel frame unit is about 12 pounds per unit at the figures above.
Galvanised or powder coated: the finish decides how long it lasts
Galvanised steel is the finish for damp: chilled rooms, cold stores, wash down areas, covered yards and anywhere the floor gets hosed. The coating goes on the wire itself, so a scratch from a case corner does not start a rust line the way bare steel does.
Powder coating suits dry stockrooms and the shop floor. It takes a colour, it wipes clean, and it looks right facing a customer. It does chip where a trolley or a pallet truck fork catches the upright, and once a chip is through to the steel in a damp room it will spread, which is the reason to be honest about the room before you choose on looks.
One more point for food areas: ask for the deck finish and the frame finish separately on your quote. They are not always the same, and an environmental health visit is a poor moment to find out.
What to check before you buy wire shelving
- Load rating, and whether the figure is per shelf or per unit. Get it written on the quote.
- Deck type. Basket tiers hold loose, bagged and small stock without it falling through. Flat wire decks suit cases and trays.
- Finish against the room: galvanised for damp and chilled, powder coated for dry and customer facing.
- Footprint and the gangway left after the run is in place, measured with a loaded trolley or roll cage.
- Feet or castors. If it is mobile, check the wheel size and that at least two wheels have brakes.
- Assembly. Slot together frames go up with no tools, bolted heavy duty frames need two people and a spanner.
- Shelf edge ticket strips if the unit faces customers. Clip on strips for wire shelves are in the spare parts range, and they are cheaper to add with the order than later.
- Inspection. Under PUWER 1998 work equipment has to be kept in efficient working order, so agree who walks the run and who replaces a bent tier.
Two sizes also matter more than buyers expect: the height of the room once the top tier is loaded, and the width of the door the units come through. Flat packed frames usually solve the second one, but confirm it rather than assume.
Ordering shelving for the Christmas trade
Mid October is when stockrooms start to fill and the overflow goes on the floor. A back room that was workable in August stops working in November, and the usual fix is cheaper than people think: two or three extra wire units on the wall that was holding boxes, and the floor back for picking.
Everything is made to order at our partner factories in the colour, size and tier layout you ask for, inspected before dispatch with photos and video sent to you, then delivered anywhere in the UK. Price, carriage, duty, VAT and the lead time are confirmed on your written quote, which holds for 30 days. Any quantity is welcome, from one unit for a single aisle to a full store set.
Guide prices for every range are on the price guide. Send the room size, the tier count and the stock you are putting on it, and the quote comes back with the finish and the rating written down.
Wire shelving and steel frame units in this guide
5-Tier Basket Storage Wire Shelvingfrom £24 ex VAT, bulk price
Multi-Layers Stacking Storage Wire Basket Storage Shelffrom £24 ex VAT, bulk price
Fruit Cans Snack Food Confectionery Baked Goods Bread Shelvingfrom £34 ex VAT, bulk price
Heavy Duty Double-Sided Steel Frame Shelvingfrom £36 ex VAT, bulk priceQuestions people ask
How much does wire shelving cost?
A five tier basket wire shelving unit is from £24 ex VAT, bulk price, and the shelving and racking range starts from £23 ex VAT, bulk price. A double sided steel frame unit for heavier cases is from £36 ex VAT, bulk price. Your quote confirms the price for the quantity and sizes you need.
How much weight will a wire shelf hold?
Light duty wire shelving is rated in tens of kilos: the light duty five tier rack in the range is rated at 60 kg. Heavier ambient cases belong on a steel frame unit, and pallet loads belong in racking or a cage. The rating for the unit you order is confirmed on your written quote.
Is wire shelving suitable for a chiller or cold room?
Yes, and it is usually the better choice. The open deck lets cold air circulate around stock instead of sitting on a solid shelf, and water drains rather than pooling. Ask for a galvanised finish for a chilled or wash down room.
Can wire shelving go on the shop floor?
It does, most often for bakery, confectionery, produce and impulse lines where customers want to see the stock. A wire display unit is from £34 ex VAT, bulk price. For a flat, tidy face on ambient grocery, a steel frame gondola unit looks better.
Does wire shelving need assembling?
Most wire units slot together without tools, which is why they arrive flat packed and go up in minutes. Heavy duty bolted frames need two people and a spanner. The build method is stated on your quote so you know what arrives.
Do I have to inspect shelving in a workplace?
PUWER 1998 requires work equipment to be suitable, maintained in efficient working order and inspected where safety depends on it. In practice that means a named person checking runs for bent tiers, loose feet and overloaded shelves, and taking damaged parts out of use.
