Leader in the industrial real estate market in Europe, Panattoni, reports a significant increase in leased space in 2020 in Poland. During the twelve months of the year, the developer signed lease agreements with clients such as Media Expert, 4f, Inpost, Allegro and Phoenix Contact for over 2.1 million sqm of space – as much as 800,000 sqm more than a year earlier. This result, despite the epidemic that has lasted since March, was mainly influenced by the rapid development of e-commerce. The revival on the warehouse and industrial market was also fostered by new trends – both in terms of moving production from Asia closer to the end consumer, and commercial networks securing the continuity of their supply chain.

During the lockdown of the e-commerce economy, it became one of the main sales channels and the main driving force of logistics. The growing importance of online commerce was visible earlier, but the pandemic caused consumers to massively move from traditional sales channels to the web. It is estimated that in 2020 the value of the e-commerce market will increase by 16-18 percent to over PLN 44 billion, and in 2023 it is to be PLN 58 billion. In turn, according to the report ‘Europe 2020: E-commerce Region’, the value of e-commerce in Europe at the end of 2020 is expected to reach over €700 billion. This represents an increase of 12.7 percent compared to last year.

With Internet orders and turnover growing so rapidly, e-commerce companies needed new space to meet this demand. As estimated by Panattoni, investments related to the e-commerce sector this year accounted for nearly 30 percent of the developer's implementation. An example is the company Globalway (part of the Costway group), a supplier of, among others toys, furniture, sports accessories, and interior design from China, which has leased the entire space at Panattoni Park Tricity East IV (52,000 sqm). The Gdańsk distribution center is to facilitate the company's trade not only on the Polish market but also throughout Europe. Its strategic partners include companies such as Walmart, Amazon, eBay, Wish, and Home Depot.

(WBJ)