Putaway

What Is Putaway?

Putaway is what happens right after receiving. Once inventory has been checked and recorded, staff move it from the receiving area into bins, shelves or pallet racks and confirm its location in the warehouse management system.

Putaway determines where every unit lives, which directly affects how quickly and accurately it can be picked later.

How It Works

The warehouse system typically suggests a location based on product size, quantity and sales speed. Staff move the stock, scan the location label and scan the product to confirm the putaway. The system then shows that quantity available in that location.

Common putaway strategies include placing fast movers close to packing stations, storing bulky items in pallet positions and keeping each lot of a dated product separate. For example, a brand's best-selling lip tint might go into a pick bin near the pack line, while overflow cartons go into reserve racking for later replenishment.

• Scan both the location and the product.
• Place fast movers in easy-to-reach locations.
• Keep separate lots of dated products apart.

Why It Matters for Ecommerce Brands

If putaway is slow, new inventory waits in staging and cannot be sold. If putaway is careless, stock ends up in the wrong place, and the system shows inventory that pickers cannot find. Both lead to delays and errors.

Putaway also needs to keep products in good condition. Heavy items should not be stacked on fragile ones, and anything with a shelf life should be placed so older lots remain accessible and are picked first.

Scanned, system-directed putaway keeps locations accurate and makes inventory available faster. For brands, that means quicker restocks, fewer phantom stockouts and more reliable order accuracy.