A recent survey by the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), the leading trade body for the warehousing sector, has highlighted workforce recruitment, retention and productivity as the number one concern cited by members, along with reducing operational costs and managing warehouse capacity and location.

The ‘Membership Matters’ survey was designed to measure attitudes towards UKWA services and to elicit feedback from members on where UKWA should focus its activities to best support them in the rapidly evolving logistics landscape.

Participants ranked topical content and professional advice (including UKWA Conditions of Contract) as top of the list of membership benefits, with representation to government and networking events scoring highly.

UKWA CEO Clare Bottle comments: “Our Membership Matters survey has offered valuable insights into members’ chief concerns. Operational costs such as rents, energy bills and insurance is a common challenge for members, which is not a surprise, nor is the long-standing difficulty faced by our sector in recruiting and retaining people. UKWA is working hard to help address these issues, providing information and advice on managing costs, engaging with government to highlight unfair business rates, talk about the skills gap and promote the benefits of rooftop solar power, while we offer market leading training opportunities to help employers attract and retain employees."

"The survey confirms too that members perceive the Association as a supportive, knowledge-driven network, and access to expert guidance is widely seen as a cornerstone of the UKWA’s value proposition. However, we are never complacent and are keen to respond to constructive feedback, including a demand for greater local engagement, particularly through events in underrepresented regions.”

Emerging interests expressed through the survey also included the importance of future-proofing businesses with AI/analytics and sustainability, where members expect UKWA to provide the latest information and guidance on implementation.

The Membership Matters Survey was conducted on behalf of UKWA by Dovetail Creative. Results were analysed using a blend of quantitative and qualitative sources.

150+ individuals from some of the leading companies in the industry responded to the survey, with more than half citing ‘Reducing Operational Costs’ in their Top 3 business challenges.