SpareFoot, an Austin-based company that helps consumers find storage units, released an infographic that illustrates surprising facts about the size and growth of the self-storage industry. Self-storage has recently made news as being the fastest-growing segment of REITs and one of the strongest performers in the commercial real estate market. According to the Self Storage Association, the footprint of self-storage facilities in the U.S. doubled from 2000 to 2005. This shows there has been a rapid increase in consumer demand for storage space. Furthermore, over 80% of the world’s storage facilities are located in the United States, indicating this demand is truly phenomenal stateside. One of SpareFoot’s overarching goals is to level the playing field between large and small storage operators for the benefit of consumer choice. Self-storage is a segmented industry, which makes “comparing storage facilities’ offerings a headache,” according to their website. The data supporting this argument is jarring: As of 2011, 90% of all self-storage companies were owned by small business entrepreneurs. Only 9% are owned by UHaul and the four large publicly traded REITs that consumers tend to think of first when they hear the term “storage unit.” About SpareFoot SpareFoot is the world’s largest online marketplace for consumers to find and reserve self-storage units, with comparison shopping tools that show real-time availability and exclusive deals. Customers can easily make reservations online or over the phone. SpareFoot also provides web marketing solutions for storage facility owners and operators; the AdNetwork tool helps self-storage businesses modernize their marketing and win new tenants online. SpareFoot AdNetwork listings get more traffic than any comparable directory, featuring software integration and ROI-proving analytics for storage facilities. This fun tech startup is headquartered in Austin, TX. Visit SpareFoot.com to learn more.]]>