Moby Self Storage Opens in Rio de Janeiro, Plans Expansion

A group of British investors living in Brazil recently opened Moby Self Storage in Rio de Janeiro. The 13,000-square-foot facility in the historic neighborhood of Gamboa in Rio’s harbor district offers units ranging from 1 to 30 square meters. Built to emulate the American self-storage model, the asset is the first of three facilities the group intends to develop by the end of 2017, according to the source.

The Gamboa facility is targeting business and residential customers. It features modern security features as well as document and vehicle storage. “We wanted to offer the residents of Rio de Janeiro the level of self-storage product that is common in the [United Kingdom] or the [United States] today,” company principal Harry Taylor told the source. “By that I mean having a purpose-built warehouse, with a 24-hour security entrance, a large private carpark, individually alarmed rooms, loading docks with industrial-sized elevators, and a clean, well-lit, pest-free environment in which to store your possessions safely.”

As an early entrant to the emerging Brazilian self-storage market, Taylor believes the industry has plenty of upside once customers understand the benefits of the service. “Without question, educating the market here that this product exists will be our biggest challenge,” he said. “We need to demonstrate how self-storage can help people here declutter their lives, and use Moby Self Storage like a spare bedroom for their apartment or as an extra storage room for their business.”

To scale the business, Moby will emphasize its security features in its marketing messages. “Security is such an important factor here in Brazil, and having the very best security system for self-storage, which includes every room or box having an individual alarm, was a big challenge to install here,” Taylor told the source. “Without a doubt, it sets us apart from other storage warehouses.”

Taylor’s investment group intends to expand quickly, with plans to develop “at least one more store” in Rio next year as well as another location is São Paulo. “We have a long-term plan for expansion here in Brazil over the next 10 years,” Taylor said.