Posted on April 10, 2018
According to Curbed, the 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space in the United States could "fill the Hoover Dam with old clothing, skis, and keepsakes more than 26 times." Trends including baby boomer retirees downsizing, small businesses storing excess inventory, and millennials living in small spaces have contributed to a record-setting boom in the self-storage industry. The article cites industry experts who believe self-storage may be at its peak, and forecast a slowdown due to overbuilding in Phoenix, Arizona; New York City; and Orange County, California. Some critics have pointed out that self-storage spaces are crowding out other more productive land uses; land that could be better used for "commercial, industrial and even residential purposes." Meanwhile, China and much of Southeast Asia are catching up to the U.S. in demand for spare space and emerging as "massive growth markets."