Shipping containers aren’t just for shipping anymore. A wide variety of industries utilize shipping containers for more than just shipping goods. We’ll explain all the different uses for the humble container, from construction sites to restaurants!
Construction
Even before many other industries started to capitalize on the usefulness of shipping containers, the construction industry was utilizing their containers in many ways. On a construction site, there are a lot of valuable materials and pieces of equipment that need to be securely stored but easily accessible. Clearly, this is a job for a sturdy and reliable shipping container!
Construction sites also use containers as temporary offices on a work site as a place to keep important documents and plans. It doesn’t take many renovations to make them livable, and you can easily transport them off the area when done!
Housing
In the last decade, one of the fascinating trends in the housing market has been the rise of tiny houses. Tiny houses became famous as an alternative to traditional homes and rising market prices, and the container home caught on along with the tiny house.
It’s easy to see why some homeowners opt to use a container for their tiny house: they’re easy to renovate, come preassembled, and are affordable! In many ways, the container home is the ideal starter home for those who don’t want to use up their savings or don’t need a ton of space.
Health Care
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals became overcrowded with so many patients that they ran out of space and beds. One of the ways that health care facilities can increase their housing capacities is with shipping containers.
Shipping containers help hospitals by acting as temporary treatment centers for COVID patients and spaces for equipment storage. Containers were so helpful that many hospitals kept their container treatment centers and used them in other ways. They could be mobile health clinics, temporary surgical facilities, or even added space for staff and personnel.
Retail
It’s hard to beat the dependable shipping container for temporary but secure storage options. The retail industry utilizes shipping containers when stores have an excess amount of product or want to make room for new goods.
Some examples of retail stores that have utilized shipping containers for storage include:
- Clothing boutiques
- Jewelry stores
- Book shops
- Electronics stores
- Gift shops
Whatever your business is selling, a shipping container can help!
Food & Beverage
Another side effect of the pandemic was indoor dining restrictions. To attract customers safely, many restaurants had to expand their outdoor dining spaces—in many cases, on the fly. One option that became popular for many restaurants was shipping containers.
Shipping containers made sense for restaurants that wanted to expand their dining options but were short on space—they’re compact, covered, affordable, and easily renovated! Even with restrictions relaxed, many restaurants are keeping their outdoor containers because of how much customers enjoy them.
As you can see, many industries utilize shipping containers in many ways besides shipping! As their use becomes more widespread, don’t be surprised to see even more trades employ the simple shipping container!