Efficiency in your warehouse starts with how you store, access and move your stock. When products are difficult to reach, picking takes longer, replenishment becomes disruptive and valuable warehouse space goes underutilised. Over time, these challenges can increase operating costs and slow down order fulfilment.
At Krost Shelving & Racking, one of Africa’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of racking systems, we understand how important an efficient storage system is to your operation.
With over 60 years of experience in the storage industry, we design, manufacture and install solutions that help businesses make better use of their space and streamline warehouse operations.
One of these solutions is our Carton Live / Flow Racking system, designed to improve picking efficiency, simplify stock rotation and reduce unnecessary product handling.
But how does it work, and what makes it a worthwhile investment for your warehouse?
What Is Carton Live / Flow Racking?
Carton live racking, also known as carton flow racking or gravity flow racking, is a dynamic storage system that uses gravity to move products along slightly inclined tracks.
Unlike traditional shelving, where cartons remain stationary until manually moved, our carton live racking allows goods to automatically advance towards the picking area as stock is removed.
The system uses several important components:
- Inclined platforms: Allow cartons to move along the racking system using gravity.
- Roller or wheel tracks: Support smooth, controlled product movement.
- Adjustable shelving: Accommodates different carton sizes and storage requirements.
- Loading and picking areas: Allow stock to be replenished at one end and collected at the other.
- Supporting steel structures: Provide the stability required for warehouse operations.
Because products are continuously presented at the picking face, your employees spend less time reaching, searching and repositioning cartons.
Our Carton Live / Flow Racking solutions are particularly well suited to warehouses with high picking volumes and fast-moving inventory.
How Does Carton Flow Racking Support FIFO Inventory Management?
One of the biggest advantages of carton flow racking is its ability to support First-In, First-Out (FIFO) inventory management.
FIFO is a stock rotation method that ensures older products are picked and dispatched before newer stock.
Let’s say your warehouse receives three deliveries of the same product:
- Monday: 100 cartons arrive.
- Wednesday: Another 100 cartons arrive.
- Friday: A further 100 cartons arrive.
Using FIFO, Monday’s stock should be dispatched first, followed by Wednesday’s and then Friday’s.
With conventional shelving, your team may need to check delivery dates and manually move newer cartons to access older stock.
Our carton flow racking simplifies this process.
New cartons are loaded at the rear of the system, while products are picked at the front. As the first carton is removed, the remaining cartons move forward automatically.
This supports consistent stock rotation while reducing unnecessary handling.
For businesses storing food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, FIFO can be especially valuable in reducing outdated inventory and improving stock control.
Where expiry dates differ between batches, FIFO should also be supported by expiry-date checks and appropriate stock management procedures.
Five Benefits of Carton Live Racking for Your Warehouse
1. Faster Picking and Order Fulfilment
In a busy distribution centre, small delays can have a significant impact on daily productivity.
Our carton flow racking keeps products accessible at designated picking positions, allowing your employees to retrieve cartons without searching through multiple shelves.
Research published in the International Journal of Production Economics in 2023 analysed approximately 2.36 million warehouse picks and found that high-density flow-rack storage reduced picking time by up to 4.6% in the operation studied.
Although results vary depending on your warehouse layout and picking processes, the findings highlight the importance of efficient storage design.
2. Better Use of Available Warehouse Space
Expanding your warehouse isn’t always the most practical way to increase storage capacity.
Carton flow racking creates compact storage lanes that accommodate multiple cartons behind one another, reducing the need for individual access aisles between products.
Industry storage manufacturer BITO reports that carton live systems can achieve approximately 30% space savings compared with conventional static racking, depending on the configuration.
With the right layout, you can store more inventory within your existing warehouse footprint.
3. Reduced Labour and Handling Requirements
Manually moving cartons forward, rearranging stock and replenishing shelves can consume valuable working hours.
Our gravity-fed system reduces these repetitive tasks by automatically advancing products towards the picking face.
Separating the loading and picking sides also helps minimise congestion, allowing replenishment and order picking to happen simultaneously.
4. Improved Inventory Organisation
Disorganised storage can make stock rotation difficult and increase the risk of inventory being overlooked.
Carton flow racking provides clearly defined storage lanes, making it easier for your team to manage individual product lines.
This supports:
- More consistent FIFO stock rotation.
- Improved product visibility.
- Reduced unnecessary stock handling.
- Better organisation of fast-moving inventory.
- More efficient replenishment processes.
5. Cost-Effective Long-Term Storage
An effective racking system should support your operations well beyond installation.
By reducing unnecessary movement, improving picking accessibility and making better use of available space, carton flow racking can help control ongoing warehouse operating costs.
For businesses experiencing increasing order volumes, these efficiencies become particularly valuable.
Carton Live Racking Dimensions and Specifications
Every warehouse operates differently, which is why selecting the correct racking dimensions is essential.
At Krost, we consider your product sizes, storage volumes, picking requirements and available space when recommending a suitable configuration.
Important specifications include:
| Specification | Considerations |
| Racking height | Warehouse ceiling clearance and accessible picking levels |
| Bay width | Product dimensions and number of storage lanes |
| Lane depth | Number of cartons required per lane |
| Load capacity | Weight of individual cartons and combined loads |
| Roller configuration | Carton dimensions, weight and movement requirements |
| Incline | Suitable gradient for controlled gravity-fed movement |
For example, if your warehouse stores cartons measuring 400 mm × 300 mm × 250 mm, a lane holding five cartons lengthwise at a 400 mm pitch would require approximately 2,000 mm of usable carton depth.
Additional clearance and structural allowances would still need to be considered.
This is an illustrative example rather than a fixed Krost specification.
Our team can assess your warehouse requirements and recommend dimensions and load capacities appropriate for your operation.
Carton Live Racking Prices in South Africa
Understanding the cost of carton flow racking is an important part of planning your warehouse investment.
In South Africa, pricing varies according to the size, configuration, materials and load-bearing requirements of the system.
As outlined in our Industrial Racking Cost in South Africa guide, typical market prices include:
| Racking type | Indicative price |
| Standard carton live / flow racking | R1,500–R3,000 per bay |
| Specialised carton live / flow racking | R5,000+ per bay |
These figures are indicative South African market estimates and should not be treated as fixed quotations.
Your final investment will depend on your warehouse layout, required storage capacity, number of picking levels, structural specifications and installation requirements.
At Krost, we recommend obtaining a tailored quotation to ensure your system meets your operational needs and budget.
Which Industries Can Benefit From Carton Flow Racking?
Our carton live racking systems can support businesses across several industries.
- Food and beverage: Maintain consistent stock rotation and improve access to packaged goods with best-before dates.
- Pharmaceuticals and healthcare: Support organised inventory management where product batches and expiry dates require careful monitoring.
- Retail and e-commerce: Keep frequently ordered products readily accessible to improve picking efficiency.
- Cosmetics and personal care: Maintain organised storage while supporting the movement of products with varying shelf lives.
- Manufacturing and distribution: Improve the availability of components, packaged products and regularly replenished inventory.
Carton flow systems can also be considered for temperature-controlled environments, provided the components are specified for the operating conditions.
Is Carton Live Racking the Right Choice for Your Business?
If your warehouse handles frequent picking, high stock turnover or products requiring FIFO rotation, carton flow racking may be an effective solution.
However, choosing the right storage system depends on several factors, including your inventory characteristics, picking frequency, available floor space and future growth requirements.
For facilities storing predominantly palletised goods or requiring different levels of accessibility, another racking system may be more suitable.
You can learn more about the available options in our What Is Racking? A Beginner’s Guide.
Improve Your Warehouse Efficiency With Krost Shelving & Racking
Your warehouse storage system should do more than accommodate inventory. It should help your team work efficiently, maintain organised stock and fulfil orders without unnecessary delays.
Our carton live racking solutions are designed to support these requirements through gravity-fed product movement, efficient picking access and reliable FIFO stock rotation.
As one of Africa’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of shelving and racking systems, we bring over 60 years of industry expertise to every storage solution we deliver.
Whether you’re improving an existing warehouse or planning a new distribution facility, we’re here to help you make the most of your available space.
Ready to improve your warehouse picking efficiency?
Explore our Carton Live / Flow Racking solutions or contact our team for expert advice and a tailored quotation.
