Storrage Inc., an app-based business specializing in valet self-storage services in Seattle, has released findings from an online survey it commissioned to gauge consumer attitudes toward valet-style services and traditional self-storage. The survey encompasses responses from 537 consumers in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., all markets where valet-storage businesses have emerged in the last two years.
Generally, valet-storage operators use an online platform that allows customers to schedule free item pickup, maintain an image catalog of stored bins and bulky items, and schedule delivery of belongings to their home. The businesses specialize in by-the-bin storage targeted at urban residents who don’t have adequate home storage.
Among all survey respondents, 42 percent indicated they would rather use valet storage over traditional self-storage if both services were available to them. Preference for valet storage increases to more than 50 percent among Millennials, urban dwellers and women, according to a press release. Valet services appear to hold the most appeal among consumers who have never used self-storage, with 65 percent indicating a preference for valet.
Convenience was cited as the No. 1 reason for considering valet storage, while affordability ranked second. Convenience was the primary consideration for 53 percent of respondents age 18 to 44 and 62 percent of those 45 to 59 years old, according to the release. Among respondents who indicated a preference for valet storage, 68 percent cited “time savings” as the primary reason, while 57 percent indicated “no need to have a car or truck.”
“The survey results validate the huge opportunity for valet-storage startups like us,” said Terry Drayton, founder and CEO of Storrage. “Do-it-for-me is what a growing number of consumers who need off-site storage want, especially those who haven’t or won’t use traditional self-storage. There is no question we’re growing the overall market.”
The survey was administered by SurveyMonkey, May 13-15. Respondents ranged in age from 22 to 69, with gender split evenly, according to the release. In terms of residence, 57 percent of respondents live in detached, single-family homes, while 43 percent live in apartments.
Storrage launched its valet-storage service in 2013 using its app-based model to store customer belongings in secure warehouses in the Seattle market. The company has also adopted a “shared economy” business model in which it partners with traditional self-storage companies for item storage and uses independent contractors for item pickup and delivery, according to the release.
Under the shared model, Storrage rents traditional self-storage units and then uses its racking system and proprietary, app-based technology to “maximize space utilization and tracking of customer items,” company officials said. Self-storage operators can add valet options to their service structure, and if they help Storrage fill the units it rents, the operator receives twice the regular rent, according to the release.
“By partnering with Storrage now, traditional self-storage operators will be able to leverage their existing infrastructure and customer flows so they are well positioned to grow revenues and profits from valet storage,” Drayton said. “It’s a business model where everyone wins: customers, self-storage partners and us.”
Source: Storrage Inc.
Source: Storrage Inc.
Source: Storrage Inc.
