A new multinational survey by CBRE, shows the growing interest of companies in logistics real estate in the Czech Republic. The answers of more than a hundred largest tenants of logistics space in Europe with a total leased area of over 40 million sqm show that the Czech Republic, together with the Netherlands and Italy, is one of the top three countries where foreign e-shop operators plan to expand in the near future.
The main reason is the rapid growth rate of e-commerce and the associated expectations of online retailers in these countries. The Czech Republic even surpassed Germany in the survey, which is in fifth place in the ranking. However, the trend of dynamically increasing interest in online shopping, which is closely linked to the coronavirus pandemic, is not the only one that affects the demand of e-shop operators. As many as 40 percent of them anticipate that they will need additional storage space in the European Union due to the recent Brexit.
“The number of orders and the demands on the speed of delivery of goods by customers are constantly increasing. And with that grows the importance of urban logistics. In our survey, 64 percent of online retailers said that expansion around major cities is a top priority for them. At the same time, however, they showed a willingness to explore locations outside the main logistics hubs. A total of 64 percent of e-shop operators admitted to considering non-traditional locations, while 44 percent of all respondents said they would do so, “comments Jan Hřivnacký, head of industrial real estate leasing at CBRE, adding:” In practice, everything depends on the specific offer suitable land for logistics construction. However, new logistics projects around large cities can be expected to emerge in the future. However, they will be outside the previously exposed localities – whether it is Hostivař, Horní Počernice and Chrášťany in the case of Prague or Tuřany and Černovice in the vicinity of Brno. ”
Internet sales in the Czech Republic currently account for 10% of the total retail volume, which ranks it sixth in Europe after the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and Finland. According to CBRE forecasts, the share of e-commerce in the Czech Republic should increase to 18% within ten years.
