Call free on: 0808 303 1101
Our Services
From standard container solutions to expert conversions, modifications, repairs and modular buildings – S Jones covers it all. We also provide industry-leading services for self-storage operators. Explore what’s possible by choosing a service on the left.
Shipping Containers for Sale
From small to large-scale storage, find the ideal shipping container to suit your needs at a competitive price.
Shipping Containers for Hire
Discover our huge range of storage containers for hire, plus welfare and workspace units that provide quick and easy site solutions.
Specialist Container Conversions
We’re a trusted provider of standard and bespoke container conversions, designed for industrial, commercial, and specialist applications.
Modular Buildings
Engineered for fast installation and long-term performance, our modular buildings provide flexible space solutions for every sector.
Shipping Container Modifications
From insulation to electrics and security upgrades, we provide tailored container modifications that transform standard units into practical, high-performance spaces.
Shipping Container Repairs
On-site container repairs and restoration that reduce downtime and save you money.
Standard Container Conversions
Discover our range of ready-made offices, chemical stores and topper containers - professionally converted, and available for rapid turnaround.
StoragePro
Container sales paired with expert support give you everything you need to start or grow a successful self storage site. Explore our Core, Plus and Ultimate packages and scale with confidence.
Shipping Container Finance
Take advantage of flexible finance options for bulk orders through Approved Business Finance. Your streamlined, stress-free purchase is only a click away.
Look back five years, and the UK container self storage industry was noticeably smaller. The CSTA recorded 70,870 self storage containers in 2020. By the end of 2025, that number had reached 112,150 – an increase of around 58%.
Scale is only part of the change. Business customers now account for almost half the market, most customers stay for longer than six months, and remotely managed sites have become commonplace.
Container self storage is no longer a niche addition to the wider storage market. It is attracting established operators, new businesses and landowners looking for another commercial use for their sites. Growth also brings more competition, making planning, presentation and customer experience increasingly important.
So, what do the latest figures tell us about the UK container self storage industry, and what should someone opening or expanding a site take from them?
The CSTA Container Self-Storage Census 2026, which reports on the market at the end of 2025, estimates that the UK now has:
More than 70 new sites opened during 2025, while the total container fleet increased by 11%. Growth came from both new facilities and established operators adding units to sites they already run.
There is an important detail behind the headline site number. The CSTA only counts facilities with 20 or more containers, meaning very small operations are not included.
The container market also sits within a much larger self storage industry. The SSA UK Annual Industry Report 2026 places annual turnover across the wider sector at £1.3 billion.
Container self storage serves a fairly even mix of domestic and commercial customers. Businesses accounted for 46% of the customer base in 2025, up from 44% the previous year. Domestic customers represented the remaining 54%.
That split challenges the idea that storage is used mainly during house moves or renovations. Tradespeople, SMEs and other local businesses also rent containers for stock, tools, equipment and document storage.
People are staying for longer too. The CSTA found that 55.5% of customers remained for at least 12 months, while only 11% stayed for less than six months.
This places self storage firmly within the subscription economy. Customers pay regularly for continued access to a service rather than buying the space outright. They can use it for as long as they need it and leave when their circumstances change.
For operators, that creates the potential for steady monthly revenue from the same physical assets. Longer stays can also make income more predictable than it would be in a business dependent on one-off transactions.
The question is no longer coming solely from farmers looking to diversify. We are also seeing interest from golf courses, marinas, leisure operators, business parks, commercial landlords and haulage businesses.
Their core operations may be very different, but the sites often have useful characteristics in common: spare land or hardstanding, vehicle access and some existing security infrastructure.
Container self storage can occupy a peripheral part of a site without displacing its main activity. It can also be introduced gradually, allowing capacity to grow alongside occupancy.
Not every unused land will work, though. Before ordering containers, a prospective operator needs clear answers to some practical questions:
Planning is one of the biggest sticking points. The CSTA identifies both the availability and cost of suitable land and the challenge of securing planning consent as constraints on further expansion.
Rental calculations also need local context. The 2026 census places the average monthly rent for a 20ft-equivalent container between £150 and £200 including VAT, but that is not a recommended price. Location, competition, security, unit condition and customer experience all affect what a site can realistically charge.
One of the useful characteristics of container self storage is that a site does not have to be developed to its full capacity on day one.
Operators can begin with a smaller first phase, monitor enquiries and occupancy, and add more containers when there is evidence to support the investment. How those containers are funded can also be adapted to the business.
We offer several routes:
These options can make opening or expanding a self storage site more accessible, particularly where an operator wants to preserve working capital or build capacity in line with demand.
The containers are only one part of the decision. Layout, access and future phases need to be considered at the same time.
StoragePro is our self storage support service, made up of three flexible packages: Core, Plus and Ultimate. The packages offer different levels of support depending on the operator’s site, budget and stage of development.
Available support ranges from recommendations on container types, estimated volumes and delivery planning to site measurement, 3D layouts, vehicle-flow planning, topper configurations and introductions to relevant industry specialists.
High occupancy is a welcome problem, but it is still a problem. In 2025, 63% of CSTA respondents reported occupancy between 90% and 99%, up from 57% in both 2023 and 2024.
Sites operating at that level risk turning away customers if they have no suitable units available. Expansion does not always require another piece of land.
Most container self storage still operates at ground level. The CSTA found that 82% of sites stack containers only one high, leaving vertical capacity relatively underused across the sector.
We are seeing more interest in topper storage units, which allow smaller units to be installed above existing ground-level containers. Multi store container units provide another way to create individually accessible spaces within a smaller footprint
The mix of unit sizes matters as much as the number of containers. A facility filled entirely with 20ft units may struggle to accommodate customers who want less space at a lower monthly price. Smaller, partitioned and topper units can fill that gap, provided local demand supports them.
New self storage sites have one immediate advantage: everything looks new.
Established operators do not need to replace an entire fleet to compete, but they do need to pay attention to presentation. Faded paintwork, damaged doors, standing water, poor lighting and untidy communal areas can all affect the impression a customer takes away.
Regular inspections help spot worn seals, door problems, damaged panels and leaks before they become larger repairs. They also reduce the likelihood of a fault disrupting an occupied unit.
Faded containers have traditionally left operators with two costly choices: repaint them or replace them. ClearRestore® offers a different approach by reviving the existing paintwork while containers remain in use.
The treatment is completed on site without requiring occupied units to be emptied. That matters to an operator who wants to improve the appearance of a facility without blocking access or moving customers’ belongings.
With more than 70 new sites entering the market in a single year, presentation is no longer a minor consideration. Customers comparing two local facilities will notice the condition of the site before they assess the finer details of the service.
The move towards remotely managed container self storage is already well underway. The CSTA found that 73% of sites were unmanned or only sometimes manned during 2025.
Online bookings, electronic contracts, recurring payments, monitored CCTV and automated gates allow much of the customer journey to be handled without permanent on-site staff. Across the wider self storage market, the SSA UK reports that 94.2% of stores now offer online booking.
Individual container locks are changing more slowly. Only 4% of container sites reported using digital locks, compared with 76% using key or combination locks and 20% relying on customer-supplied locks.
That distinction matters. A site can have automated bookings, payments and gate access while customers still open their containers with conventional keys.
We have already worked with a self storage operator to explore Bluetooth locking technology that allows customers to access their container through a smart device. The system does not depend on Wi-Fi or a reliable phone signal, which is useful for rural sites where connectivity can be inconsistent.
However, one project does not make digital container access mainstream. The CSTA figures show that it remains a small part of the market. They also suggest there is considerable room for access technology to develop.
The 2026 figures describe a sector with more sites, more containers and longer customer relationships. They also show why simply owning a suitable piece of land is not enough.
New operators need to understand local demand before committing money. Established operators have to decide whether the next gain will come from more units, a different unit mix, better use of height or improvements to the existing site.
Technology will continue to change how facilities are booked and managed. Flexible hire, purchase and finance options will support phased growth. The subscription model will remain attractive, but only for sites that give customers a reason to stay.
Planning restrictions, land costs and container price volatility have not disappeared. Those constraints make accurate layouts and realistic financial modelling more important, not less.
Container self storage has grown considerably in five years. Its next phase will be shaped by how well operators use the land, technology and assets they already have.
With more than 40 years of experience in the shipping container industry, we support self storage businesses across Great Britain with container supply, modifications and repairs, as well as expert site planning and expansion.
Whether you’re assessing unused land, opening your first facility or looking to make your existing site work harder, explore our StoragePro page to see the self storage sites we’ve helped bring to life and how we can help you on your self storage journey.
