Choosing the wrong shelving system costs more than the price of the units. It costs floor space, picking efficiency and, in some cases, workplace safety. New Zealand warehouses, distribution centres and retail back-of-house operations all have distinct storage requirements, and commercial shelving covers a wide spectrum of systems designed to meet them. Understanding the differences between shelving types, and knowing which criteria apply to your operation, is what separates a system that performs from one that creates ongoing problems. The breakdown below covers the main shelving types available in NZ, what each is built for and how to match the right solution to your space.
Shelving vs racking: understanding the difference
Commercial shelving and pallet racking serve different operational roles, and choosing between them depends on how stock is accessed, how heavy it is and whether forklifts are involved. Shelving is a manually loaded system designed for stock that workers access on foot, picking individual items, cartons or small loads by hand. Pallet racking is an engineered structural system designed to store palletised loads accessed by forklifts, with load ratings and compliance requirements that shelving is not built to meet.
The practical boundary sits at the point where load weight, access method or item dimensions exceed what shelving can accommodate safely. For most warehouses, both systems have a role: shelving handles the manually picked lines while racking handles the bulk palletised stock. Getting clear on which category your stock falls into before selecting a system avoids the common and costly mistake of specifying shelving for loads it cannot carry.
Long span shelving
Long span shelving is a medium-duty system designed to store items that are too large or too heavy for standard shelving but do not require palletised racking. It suits bulk cartons, automotive parts, hardware, timber lengths and other stock that workers pick manually but that exceeds the dimensions or weight limits of lighter shelving configurations.
Typical shelf load capacities range from 200 kg to 500 kg per shelf, depending on beam span and upright gauge. Bay widths commonly range from 1,200 mm to 2,400 mm, making long span shelving one of the most flexible manually loaded options for warehouse environments. Shelves are adjustable, allowing bays to be reconfigured as stock profiles change.
Long span shelving is not suited to forklift-accessed storage or loads that consistently approach palletised weights. Where those requirements apply, pallet racking systems deliver the structural capacity and certified load ratings that long span shelving cannot provide.
Boltless and rivet shelving
Boltless shelving, also known as rivet shelving, is a light to medium duty system assembled without tools using a rivet-and-clip connection method. It suits small parts, spare components, packaged goods, archival boxes and retail back-of-house storage where fast assembly, reconfigurability and low cost per bay are priorities.
Typical shelf load capacities range from 50 kg to 200 kg per shelf. Bay widths commonly sit between 900 mm and 1,200 mm, with shelf depths from 300 mm to 600 mm. The tool-free assembly method makes boltless shelving practical for operations that reconfigure storage frequently or need to expand incrementally without specialist labour.
The key limitation of boltless shelving is load capacity. It is not suited to heavy stock, bulky items or any environment where loads approach or exceed its rated capacity. Exceeding load ratings on any shelving system creates a workplace safety risk and a liability under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Heavy duty shelving
Heavy duty shelving is designed for industrial and warehouse environments where manually accessible stock exceeds the load limits of long span or boltless systems. It suits workshop consumables, industrial hardware, equipment components and high-volume distribution lines that workers access by hand but that carry significant weight per shelf.
Typical shelf load capacities range from 300 kg to over 1000 kg per shelf, depending on configuration, upright gauge and shelf construction. Heavy duty shelving is typically built from thicker steel than medium duty alternatives, with adjustable shelves and a bolted frame for structural stability under sustained load.
Heavy duty shelving sits at the upper end of manually loaded storage systems. Where loads exceed its rated capacity or require forklift access, the appropriate solution shifts to pallet racking. For operations combining manually picked and palletised stock, heavy duty shelving and pallet racking systems commonly work alongside each other within the same warehouse layout.
Wire shelving
Wire shelving is an open-construction system built from welded wire grids rather than solid steel panels. The open design allows airflow around stored items and provides clear sightlines across bays, making wire shelving the preferred choice for cool stores, food storage, pharmaceutical environments and any application where hygiene, ventilation or visibility are operational priorities.
Typical shelf load capacities range from 100 kg to 200 kg per shelf. Wire shelving is widely used in food distribution, hospitality storage, cool rooms and healthcare facilities where solid-surface shelving would trap moisture, restrict airflow or make cleaning more difficult.
The primary limitation of wire shelving is that small or irregularly shaped items may not sit stably on the open grid surface without additional shelf liners. Wire shelving is also not suited to high-load industrial environments. For those applications, heavy duty shelving or pallet racking provides the required capacity and structural rating.
Mobile shelving and compactus systems
Mobile shelving, commonly referred to as compactus systems, is a high-density storage solution in which shelving units are mounted on floor tracks and moved laterally to create a single access aisle between any two bays. By eliminating fixed aisles between all bays, mobile shelving can significantly increase storage capacity within the same floor footprint compared to static shelving configurations.
Compactus systems suit archives, parts rooms, libraries, records storage and any environment where density is the primary requirement and simultaneous access to all bays is not needed. Shelf load capacities vary by system configuration and floor load rating.
The key consideration for mobile shelving is floor loading. The concentrated weight of a full compactus system requires a floor capable of supporting it, and a structural assessment may be needed before installation. For operations where floor area is the binding constraint and access frequency is manageable, mobile shelving delivers a material increase in storage density without expanding the building footprint.
Gondola shelving
Gondola shelving is a freestanding, double-sided shelving system used predominantly in retail environments and retail back-of-house storage. It is designed for product display and easy access from both sides of the unit, with adjustable shelves to accommodate changing product ranges and seasonal stock.
Gondola shelving suits supermarkets, retail stores, pharmacy layouts and warehouse retail environments where product presentation and accessibility are as important as storage density. Typical shelf load capacities range from 500 kg to 200 kg per shelf, making gondola shelving suited to packaged goods, consumables and display-ready stock rather than heavy industrial items.
For operations that use gondola shelving as part of a broader warehouse or retail fit-out, Storepro covers gondola shelving configurations, layout planning and NZ supply in detail as a standalone topic.
Shelving comparison at a glance
| Shelving type | Load capacity per shelf | Best-fit application | Typical environment | Access method | Scalability |
| Long span | 200–500 kg | Bulky cartons, hardware, automotive parts | Warehouse, trade, distribution | Manual, on foot | High, adjustable bays |
| Boltless/rivet | 50–200 kg | Small parts, archives, retail back-of-house | Office, warehouse, retail | Manual, on foot | High, tool-free reconfiguration |
| Heavy duty | 300–1000+ kg | Industrial components, high-volume distribution | Warehouse, manufacturing | Manual, on foot | Medium, bolted frame |
| Wire | 100–200 kg | Food storage, pharmaceuticals, cool rooms | Cool stores, healthcare, hospitality | Manual, on foot | Medium, standard bay sizes |
| Mobile/compactus | Varies by configuration | Archives, parts rooms, records storage | Office, parts room, distribution | Manual,on foot | Low, track-mounted, floor-dependent |
| Gondola | 50–200 kg | Retail display, packaged goods | Retail, warehouse retail | Manual,customer or staff | High, adjustable shelves |
How to choose the right shelving for your warehouse
The right shelving system depends on a combination of factors that interact, and getting one wrong affects the performance of the whole. Work through the following criteria before specifying a system.
- Load requirements: establish the maximum weight per shelf and the total system load. If loads regularly approach or exceed 500 kg per shelf, heavy duty shelving or pallet racking systems may be the more appropriate solution.
- Item dimensions: measure the height, depth and width of the largest items to be stored. Long span shelving handles bulky or irregular stock that standard shelving cannot accommodate. Wire shelving suits flat-bottomed packaged goods but may not suit small or irregularly shaped items without liners.
- Access method: shelving suits manual picking by workers on foot. If forklift or pallet jack access is required for any part of the storage system, that portion needs pallet racking, not shelving.
- Environment: cool stores and food preparation areas require wire shelving for airflow and hygiene. Archive and parts room environments benefit from compactus systems for density. Industrial environments require heavy duty or long span systems for load rating.
- Space constraints: measure available floor area, ceiling height and aisle width. Mobile shelving suits operations where floor area is the binding constraint. Long span and heavy duty shelving suits operations with adequate floor space and standard ceiling heights.
- Scalability: if the operation is likely to grow or change, prioritise systems with adjustable shelves and modular bay configurations. Boltless and long span shelving both offer high reconfigurability. Compactus systems are less adaptable once installed.
- Compliance: for heavier shelving systems, load rating signage is a requirement under WorkSafe NZ guidelines. A Storepro specialist can advise on whether your intended system requires formal load certification.
When shelving is not enough
Shelving is the right solution for manually accessed stock within its rated load and dimensional range. When operational requirements move beyond that boundary, continuing to use shelving creates both a performance problem and a safety risk.
The clearest signals that a warehouse needs pallet racking rather than shelving are that stock is moved on pallets, access requires a forklift or pallet jack, or loads consistently exceed what shelving systems are rated to carry. In those cases, pallet racking systems provide the certified structural capacity, engineered load ratings and AS/NZS 4084:2023 compliance that shelving is not designed to deliver.
For operations where floor space is already constrained and vertical space is available, mezzanine floors can extend usable storage area upward without expanding the building footprint. Storepro designs and installs mezzanine floors as part of complete warehouse fit-outs, often in combination with shelving and racking on the floor below.
How Storepro designs and supplies shelving systems across NZ
Storepro supplies, designs and installs commercial shelving systems for warehouses, distribution centres and industrial facilities across New Zealand. With more than 20 years of experience and a combined team expertise exceeding 200 years, Storepro works with operations managers and procurement teams to specify shelving that suits their load, environment and space rather than defaulting to a catalogue option.
Every shelving project starts with a site assessment to confirm floor loading, ceiling height, aisle requirements and stock profiles before a system is specified. Where operations combine shelving with pallet racking systems, Storepro designs both components as a single integrated warehouse fit-out, reducing coordination risk and delivering a layout that performs across all storage zones.Storepro operates across New Zealand with local teams available to assess, design and install. If you’re looking for the right shelving or racking solution for your warehouse, start with a direct conversation with a warehouse storage specialist.