A storage warehouse is a commercial building which is generally located in the industrial areas and is used for the storage of goods. Storage warehouses are generally used by manufacturers, wholesalers, exporters, transport business and customs to store goods. They are ready with loading docks which are used to load and unload the trucks or sometimes the warehouses get loaded or unloaded directly from railway, airports or seaports.

A storage warehouse is an important part in the distribution chain of products. They are the hubs where goods are stored to be distributed further. To help the movement of goods and the process storage warehouses are equipped with cranes and forklifts. There are separate storage houses for perishable items and are known as cold storages. They are similar to the storage warehouses with the only difference being the controlled temperature which is usually as low as 0 degrees for the preservation of perishable items.

With time the need of a typical warehouse has bee declining due to the Just in Time policy followed by the business to improve the returns of a business by reducing in process inventory. The JiT system promotes the deliver of products or parts directly from the manufacturer to the merchant eliminating the need of a storage warehouse. But still storage warehouses are commonly used due to the convenience they offer in the distribution chain. The latest development is the retail store type warehouses where decorative shelving is replaced by tall heavy duty industrial racks.