The local market for logistics and industrial spaces accelerated expansion in 2020 both in terms of demand, which approached the threshold of 1 million sqm, and in terms of deliveries of new spaces, which reached an area of ​​649,000 sqm, both indicators reaching new records, according to real estate consulting company Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

In 2020, demand for warehouses reached a record 4.8 million sqm, with supply expanding by more than 2 million sqm. Almost 1.9 million sqm remained in the under construction pipeline. Advisory firm JLL summarizes the situation on the Polish industrial market at the end of 2020.

Disruptions from the pandemic are poised to continue, according to the Prologis Logistics Rent Index. Lockdowns and other COVID-19-related situations may constrain customers’ operations, though the volatility is expected to be less severe than in 2020 as many customers now have better supply chain visibility.

There is currently a shortage of industrial and logistics space on the Czech market, in addition to a lack of land suitable for their construction. This is mainly due to growing demand and the fact that local governments aren’t motivated by tax benefits to allow their construction. The situation is most evident in the vicinity of large cities, and also affects the growth of rent levels. Moreover, it has also caused a new trend in the form of the extension of rent contracts. The first new projects of over 20,000 sqm can only be expected in the second half of 2022. 

The highest ever 5.2 million sqm of warehouse space was leased in 2020 as a result of significant changes in consumer behaviour in this exceptional year. The industrial and logistics sector was the fastest to adapt to the new requirements linked with the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly adopting supply chains and ensuring health and safety to workers and customers. 2020 was also the year of rapid growth of all segments related to the e-commerce sector. In the coming years, e-commerce will set the pace of development for the entire warehouse market in Poland. AXI IMMO presents their report Polish Industrial & Logistics Market in 2020.

Panattoni is to launch its latest project in the Wrocław area. Panattoni Park Wrocław East will be built in Dobrzykowice – just off the city’s eastern bypass. By September 2021, the developer will have completed 24,516 sqm of class A warehouse space in one building, including 11,000 sqm for the world's leading manufacturer of cooker hoods for household use. This is to be the first such modern distribution facility on the eastern outskirts of Wrocław. It will be developed in line with the company’s ‘Go Earthwise with Panattoni’ concept and is to be BREEAM certificated at the ‘Very Good’ level.

Courier company FAN Curier announced it will complete this year an investment of  €7 million in the logistic HUB in Cluj-Napoca after it received the final building permit this month.

GLP announced the development of a new 37,000 sqm logistics centre in Upper Silesia, Poland. The 37,000 sqm unit marks the first phase of development and is part of a scheme to develop over 110,000 sqm of warehouse space in Ledziny, each with direct access to the S1 expressway.

Accolade and Panattoni are continuing the extensive revitalization of a former settling reservoir in a sugar factory near Kojetín in the Olomouc region. The CZK 3 billion industrial complex, designed and constructed aligned with the latest trends in e-commerce and targeting future local and foreign tenants, will be completed by the end of the year 2022.

In 2020, total warehouse take-up hit close to 5 million sqm for the first time in history, representing a 24% increase year-on-year. New leases and expansions accounted for nearly 70% of that total, equating to approximately 3.45 million sqm. Cushman & Wakefield has summarised 2020 on the Polish industrial market.