Space Station
Space Station is a UK self-storage operator with 20+ facilities across the Midlands, South East, and Yorkshire, serving consumers and SMBs with storage units, serviced offices, and ancillary services such as removals and insurance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersSlough, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Space Station does
Space Station (A Space Station Ltd, Company No. 01693618) is a UK-based self-storage operator founded in 1983 and headquartered in Slough. The company operates 20+ physical facilities across three regional clusters — Birmingham/Midlands, London/South East, and Yorkshire — comprising 17 owned assets supplemented by third-party management contracts. Its wholly-owned subsidiary portfolio (NW8 Self Storage, Lockaway, Rent A Space, Fort Locks) indicates a programmatic roll-up strategy that has consolidated regional operators under a single corporate vehicle.
The company serves both individual consumers and small/medium businesses with personal storage, business storage, and serviced office space. Ancillary revenue lines include free removals (used as a customer acquisition and retention lever), insurance, crate hire, and a box shop, extending per-customer revenue capture beyond core storage rentals. Founder and Managing Director Alastair Caldwell leads the company alongside institutional capital partner PGIM Real Estate, which has underwritten a five-year expansion that grew the owned portfolio from 5 to 17 assets.
The business model is asset-heavy real estate operations with a distributed retail-style revenue base: thousands of short-cycle unit rentals across multiple sites, supplemented by ancillary fees and third-party management income. Capital structure is anchored by a £48M PGIM loan facility (June 2026) supporting continued acquisitions, with a new site opened in Stafford in April 2026. The customer base is mass-market and SMB-oriented with no disclosed enterprise anchors, and the company holds Self Storage Association UK membership. No proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the available data.
Space Station firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Space Station
- Legal name
- A Space Station Ltd
- Website
- https://space-station.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Space Station is a UK self-storage operator with 20+ facilities across the Midlands, South East, and Yorkshire, serving consumers and SMBs with storage units, serviced offices, and ancillary services such as removals and insurance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Space Station industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Self-Storage Services
- NAICS
- Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units (53113), Warehousing and Storage (4931)
- SIC
- Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standard/Non-Climate Self-Storage (HSAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business & Commercial Self-Storage (Inventory/Records) (HSAKAGAD), Self-Storage Security & Access Services (Gated Entry, Keypad, CCTV) (HSAKAGAJ), Residential Full-Service Storage (HSAKAHAA), Climate-Controlled Full-Service Storage (HSAKAHAG), Storage Insurance (Self-Storage Unit Contents Coverage) (HSAKANAF)
Keywords
Where Space Station is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Slough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices21 records
Markets served
Space Station business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Storage Unit Rental: Core recurring revenue from renting self-storage units ranging from 8 sq ft lockers to 2,000 sq ft rooms. Customers pay periodic rental fees (monthly, quarterly, or annually) with flexible contracts. Longer prepaid terms offer discounts (5% for 6 months, 10% for 12 months). Minimum rental periods apply.
- Storage Insurance: Optional insurance coverage offered to customers for their stored goods. Customer must maintain adequate insurance for stored property. Space Station offers insurance as an add-on service with coverage limits.
- Crate Hire: Rental of packing crates for customer use during moving and storage. Minimum 4-week hire period with charges payable in advance.
- Box and Packaging Sales: Sale of packing supplies including boxes, bubble wrap, tape, dust covers, and other packaging materials through the box-shop.space-station.co.uk online store and in-store
- Forklift and Handling Services: Chargable services for forklift operations, pallet handling, and goods lifting at selected stores
- Office Space Rental: Serviced office space available at selected locations with inclusive services (broadband, electricity, maintenance, cleaning)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Storage unit rental with flexible sizing |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Gold loyalty - 6-month prepaid discount |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Platinum loyalty - 12-month prepaid discount |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Crate hire service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Serviced office space |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Space Station product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Space Station rents secure self-storage units ranging from 8 sq ft lockers to 2,000 sq ft rooms to both individual and business customers across multiple UK locations. Core revenue comes from recurring storage licence fees, supplemented by an integrated free removals service, optional insurance, packing crate hire, an online box shop for packing materials, and serviced office space at selected stores.
Product overview
Space Station operates as a physical self-storage operator offering personal and business storage solutions across multiple UK locations. The core offering consists of secure self-storage units available in sizes from 10 sq ft lockers to 2,000 sq ft rooms, supplemented by business services (warehouse, archive, and retail storage), flexible office space at select locations, and ancillary services including free removals, optional insurance, crate hire, and a box shop. The company operates on a self-storage licence agreement model rather than traditional rental, with units individually locked and accessible via PIN code. The offering is a unified physical storage service without software platform components, APIs, or AI-powered features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Storage Self-storage units for individual customers, offering flexible rental periods for personal belongings, seasonal items, collectibles, and temporary storage during moves, renovations, travel, or general decluttering. Unit sizes range from 8 sq ft lockers up to 2,000 sq ft rooms.
- Business Storage Commercial storage solutions for small and medium businesses, including warehouse storage units, archive storage for documents, retail stock storage, and container storage for business inventory and equipment.
- Office Space Flexible serviced office space available at selected locations, offered on a non-exclusive licence basis with broadband, electricity, maintenance, cleaning, and utilities included on a fair-usage basis.
- Free Removals Service Complimentary removal service for customers renting storage units of 16 sq ft or larger for a minimum of two months, within a 10-mile radius of stores. Includes collection, transportation, and packing directly into the storage unit; saves customers on average £549.
- Storage Insurance Optional insurance coverage for stored goods, providing protection against specified perils including fire, flood, theft, and damage, with coverage limits and excess terms as detailed in the insurance policy.
- Storage Crate Hire Rental of packing crates for moving and storage purposes, with a minimum four-week hire period, charges payable in advance, and optional delivery/collection. Damaged or non-returned crates incur a £30 fee.
- Box Shop Online shop selling packing supplies including boxes, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, tape, dust covers, and other packing essentials for customers preparing items for storage or moving.
Quantifiable outcome
- Customers save on average £549 by using the free removals service
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Space Station
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Space Station technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Space Station partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- DHL ExpressminorDHL Express parcel drop-off service available at Space Station stores, providing added convenience for customers who can receive and send parcels at store locations.
- SSA UK (Self Storage Association UK)minorTrade association membership demonstrating industry compliance and best practices. Members adhere to industry standards and codes of practice.
- Third-Party Removal CompaniescorePreferred supplier removal companies undertaking the free removals service for Space Station customers. Customers may be required to sign contracts agreeing to the removal company's T&Cs.
- Living Wage EmployerminorSpace Station is recognized as a Living Wage Employer, demonstrating commitment to fair pay for employees.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Space Station competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Access Self Storage: Access Self Storage operates a UK regional network of self-storage facilities serving household and business customers with similar unit sizes, access controls and ancillary services. It is directly comparable as a mid-sized UK self-storage operator competing in overlapping catchments with similar go-to-market and product mix.
- Lok'nStore Group: Lok'nStore is a UK AIM-listed self-storage operator with roughly 35 owned and trading stores across southern England. It is closely comparable to Space Station in business model — owned-asset self-storage with business and household customers, unit rental plus insurance and packaging add-ons — and overlaps geographically in the South East.
- Ready Steady Store: Ready Steady Store operates a UK regional network of self-storage facilities offering similar unit sizes, access controls, business storage and household storage to Space Station. It is directly comparable as a mid-sized UK self-storage competitor serving overlapping household and SMB customer segments.
- Storage King UK: Storage King operates self-storage facilities in the UK and Australia, offering personal and business storage with unit rental, packing supplies and insurance. It is comparable to Space Station as a regional self-storage brand with a similar product mix, though it is part of a larger international platform.
Broad incumbents
- Shurgard Self Storage: Shurgard operates a European self-storage network including the UK. It overlaps with Space Station in London and surrounding regions, offering similar unit sizes, access controls and value-added services like parcel drop-off and packaging, but with greater capital backing and a multi-country footprint.
- Big Yellow Group: Big Yellow is the largest dedicated self-storage REIT in the UK with a national footprint of ~110 stores. It is directly comparable as a self-storage landlord/operator targeting both household and business customers with similar unit sizing, security features and digital booking flows, though it operates at significantly greater scale and density than Space Station.
- Safestore Holdings: Safestore is a leading UK and Paris-listed self-storage operator with over 200 stores. It competes head-to-head with Space Station in London and the South East on similar unit rental, business storage and value-added services like insurance and van hire, but at materially larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
Regional players
- Attic Self Storage: Attic Self Storage is a regional UK self-storage operator with a growing footprint across London and surrounding counties. It is comparable to Space Station in target customer (households and small businesses), unit rental model and ancillary services, though it has a more London-centric geographic focus versus Space Station's Midlands and Yorkshire presence.
Emerging players
- PODS Enterprise: PODS Enterprise provides portable container-based storage and moving services to UK household and business customers. While Space Station owns fixed-site self-storage, PODS is comparable on the integrated moving-plus-storage value proposition and customer overlap (households in transition, renovations, relocations).
- Pickfords: Pickfords is a long-established UK removal and storage company offering household moves, business relocations and short/long-term storage. It is comparable to Space Station's free-removal-plus-storage bundle and overlaps in target customer segments (household moves, business relocations), though Pickfolds is primarily removal-led rather than storage-led.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Space Station social profiles
Digital presenceSpace Station financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Space Station leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Space Station subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Space Station funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Space Station M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Space Station
What does Space Station do?
Space Station rents secure self-storage units ranging from 8 sq ft lockers to 2,000 sq ft rooms to both individual and business customers across multiple UK locations. Core revenue comes from recurring storage licence fees, supplemented by an integrated free removals service, optional insurance, packing crate hire, an online box shop for packing materials, and serviced office space at selected stores.
Is Space Station a public or private company?
Space Station is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Space Station founded?
Space Station was founded in 1983.
Where is Space Station based?
Space Station is headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Space Station make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Storage Unit Rental is the primary driver. The others are storage Insurance, crate Hire, box and Packaging Sales, forklift and Handling Services and office Space Rental.
Who are Space Station's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Access Self Storage, Lok'nStore Group, Ready Steady Store and Storage King UK. Broad incumbents are Shurgard Self Storage, Big Yellow Group and Safestore Holdings. Attic Self Storage is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are PODS Enterprise and Pickfords.
Does Space Station have an API?
No public API is recorded for Space Station.
What industry is Space Station in?
Space Station's product category is Self-Storage Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAKAGAB, Standard/Non-Climate Self-Storage, with a secondary code of HSAKAGAD, Business & Commercial Self-Storage (Inventory/Records). Its NAICS code is 53113 and its SIC code is 4220.