A warehouse is a building designed to store large quantities of merchandise — or wares, to use the Old English word.
Not all warehouses are alike. Some are open to the public, and some are not. Some offer logistics services, and some simply store goods. Here’s an overview of the types of warehouses.

Types of warehouses

Private warehouse. A warehouse owned and operated by a single company. Private warehouses can be distribution centers, fulfillment centers, or storage facilities.

Public warehouse. A public warehouse is a storage facility where you can rent space. The only warehouse service that public warehouses provide is storage.

Bonded warehouse. Bonded warehouses hold imported goods before they clear customs.

Distribution warehouse. Distribution warehouses are waystations in the supply chain for wholesale goods. They often aggregate stock from multiple suppliers to create wholesale deliveries for retail outlets.
Fulfillment warehouse. Also known as a 3PL or fulfillment center, fulfillment warehouses provide order fulfillment services for eCommerce companies.
Within each type of warehouse, there are also sub-types. For example, many fulfillment centers provide specialized services such as fulfillment for beauty products, cold storage, and shipping for perishable items, or fulfillment of oversized products.