Stacker Market

Market Overview

The global stacker market size was valued at USD 2,452.47 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 3,739.86 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

The increased focus on robust and compact material handling equipment and the versatile benefits associated with stackers can promote market growth. In a warehouse or industrial facility, commodities are stacked and stored using a stacker, a material handling device. The stacker is made to lift, move, and stack objects vertically, increasing storage capacity and requiring less physical effort. Stackers are primarily used to stack things in storage facilities, particularly in sectors where it is necessary to store bulky, heavy items like construction supplies, home appliances, and other durable goods.

The stacker can be used for various tasks, including transporting products between workstations, loading or unloading packages from delivery trucks, and moving objects from one location to another. Stackers have benefits such as higher production, decreased physical labor, and improved workplace safety.

Market Dynamics

Global Stacker Market Drivers

Increased Focus on Robust and Compact Material Handling Equipment

Compact material handling equipment adoption has recently increased due to their simpler maintenance requirements, mobility, and performance comparable to large machinery. Compact material handling machinery, such as stackers, is also far simpler than large machinery and does not require certified operators. Stackers are also more affordable than other types of traditional material handling equipment, which increases their appeal to end customers.

Versatile Benefits Associated with Stackers

Due to their small shape and enhanced agility, stackers provide various advantages in various jobs in manufacturing, shop floors, retail and wholesale hubs, warehouses, logistics, and factories. For instance, this technology is more accessible in small, enclosed spaces, is simple to move, is inexpensive, and requires little maintenance. Additionally, a rise in the use of stackers over the past few years has been attributed to the necessity for safe and effective material handling equipment in many cross-industry verticals. In the upcoming years, these benefits are predicted to fuel market expansion.

Global Stacker Market Restraint

Rise in Adoption of Forklifts

Heavy goods, including fully loaded pallets, are moved and lifted using forklifts and stackers. Forklifts, like stackers, can be customized with various add-ons, including hooks, work platforms, and grabbers. Forklifts are typically used for ports and warehouses due to their compact size and adaptability. Forklifts are also ideal for loading and unloading goods from vehicles, rail carriages, and storage facilities. On the other hand, stackers are typically more effective for outdoor applications at lifting materials and loads to heights higher than a standard forklift can. The expansion of the manufacturing sector is driving growth in the forklift truck market on a global scale. Transferring big or bulky products with forklift trucks improves efficiency and lowers operating expenses. These vehicles' lifting capacity and forward centers of gravity are used to classify them.

Additionally, these forklifts are 650 inches tall and have a load capacity of up to 50 tons. The growing export demand from developing nations also helps support the global forklift truck market.

Global Stacker Market Opportunities

Technical Innovations in Stackers

The ability to handle multiple pallets and horizontal movement has contributed to the popularity of battery-operated stackers among end-user industries. Long-distance travel and light-duty material handling applications are possible due to the choice of lithium-ion batteries for enhanced flexibility and energy efficiency. Several corporations devote resources to advancing stackers with improved durability, reliability, and efficiency. One example is the Raymond Courier 3030 stacker released in May 2019 by Toyota-owned Raymond Corporation. The automatic lift truck stacker is the next iteration in this line and can move pallets horizontally and vertically. In the not-too-distant future, these will open fantastic possibilities. 

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global stacker market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Asia-Pacific is the most significant global stacker market shareholder and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period. Developing nations like China, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia are seeing rapid economic expansion, driving demand for stackers. In addition, rising demand for residential buildings is anticipated to propel the market expansion in these nations. The Asia-Pacific stacker industry has grown in recent years thanks to China and India's numerous construction and infrastructure projects.

Moreover, development initiatives for infrastructure, transportation, and airports have been spurred by fast-growing economies, particularly in East Asian countries. As a result, there is a greater need in Asia for space-saving, durable stackers. The market increase is anticipated thanks to the efforts of numerous stacker producers who are keen on developing new markets. The electric stacker market is propelled by rising commodity prices and consumer spending. The emergence of emerging economies like India and Indonesia is also anticipated to provide several opportunities for this sector to expand.

Europe is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period. Urbanization's constant growth has caused people to spend more money on food and drink, which has helped the food industry flourish. Food and beverage is one of the UK's fastest-growing export industries. Therefore, the growth of the food and beverage industry is projected to open up chances for the stacker market in Europe. The main driver propelling the stacker market is the expansion of e-commerce in Europe. Due to increased industrialization and urbanization, e-commerce continuously expands in industrialized nations like the UK and Germany. Stackers are being accelerated by an increased focus on lowering carbon footprints and introducing energy-efficient material handling equipment.

North America emerged as one of the fastest-growing regions in the global market. The need for durable, effective, and portable machinery that is simple to use and move from one place to another has increased in North America. During the projection period, demand for the stacker market is anticipated to be driven by the high labor cost and an increase in the desire for durable, compact machinery to replace large machinery. The primary factors driving the growth of the stacker market also include the tendency for many companies to stock up on inventory to meet consumer demand. Additionally, the expansion of industrial warehouses in the United States and Canada is anticipated to create a variety of prospects for future market expansion.

LAMEA depends entirely on stacker imports due to the region's lack of manufacturing firms. Future market expansion is anticipated to have a wide range of prospects due to the expansion of warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Advantages like minimizing the likelihood of product/equipment damage, effective productivity, decreasing workplace accidents, and traffic control in warehouses are driving this market's growth. The mining and infrastructure industries in LAMEA use stackers to boost productivity and profitability. Increased mining activity is the primary driver of the stacker market's growth in LAMEA.

Segmental Analysis

The global stacker market is bifurcated into type and end-user.

Based on the type, the global market is bifurcated into electric, manual/hydraulic, and semi-electric.

The electric segment dominates the global market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 5% over the forecast period. Electric-powered stackers are excellent for moving waste or byproducts away from a production line and transporting materials or components to it. They also load or unload bulky items from a vehicle's side or back. Due to their reliance on batteries and lack of exhaust emissions, electric stackers are environmentally benign and improve the air quality for workers and customers. For the past ten years, sales of electric-powered stackers have outpaced those of trucks with internal combustion engines throughout Europe and Asia-Pacific. Electric-powered stackers are healthy for the environment and operators because they don't release any pollutants.

Additionally, because diesel is a finite resource, its cost is predicted to rise with time. Furthermore, electric-powered stackers do not need particulate filters installed as a standard to comply with the strict European Exhaust Emission Standard, unlike internal combustion vehicles. The market for electric-powered stackers is growing as a result of all these reasons taken together.

Based on end-users, the global market is divided into retail and wholesale, logistics, automobile, food and beverage, and others.

The retail and wholesale segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period. Stackers are highly productive material handling equipment, perfect for the continually changing wholesale and retail market. To satisfy the expanding demands of shops, they are tailored and furnished with various alternatives. They aid in producing integrated systems that include AC motors, controllers, and accompanying software. The wholesale sector benefits from the design efficiency of stackers since they can move more goods per hour on a single battery charge. Stackers are increasingly used in the retail and wholesale markets because of the beneficial characteristics of electric stacker sales.

The increasing warehousing of commodities in warehouses, which are then distributed through wholesalers and distributors, results from improved transportation networks across various nations and continents—such elements fuel market expansion. The demand for stackers is growing as labor prices and productivity in the retail and wholesale markets rise. Additionally, during the projection period, this segment's expansion is predicted to be boosted by stackers' higher efficacy and high load-carrying capability.

Recent Developments

• June 2023- Kalmar Introduces the World's Most Sustainable Reachstacker built of Emission-Free Steel: an electric reach stacker of 47% SSAB ZeroTM steel, formed from recycled steel and produced using fossil-free power and biogas. Kalmar and SSAB announced a collaboration in May 2023 to offer SSAB Zero to the cargo and load-handling business.