The fourth quarter of 2020 closed a year full of changes and upcoming trends on the Czech industrial market. Despite the pandemic, the industrial segment proved stable, and there was a significant acceleration in the development of e-commerce, and specifically the digitalisation of the entire retail sector. There remains a high demand for premises on the market from investors and clients, and this interest puts pressure on prices, which will increase significantly at premium locations in 2021, according to 108 Agency.

E-commerce makes a major leap registering important figures globally, reaching 4.28 trillion dollars in 2020, an increase of 27.6% compared to 2019, and the demand for logistics services is on the rise. Here are the latest trends in the e-commerce and logistics sectors as predicted by futurologist Sean Culey – strategist, transformation advisor, and external consultant to P3 Logistics Parks. 

European Logistics Investment (ELI) has delivered three new development projects. The three latest completed developments in Bielsko-Biała, Ruda Śląska and Toruń will add 145,000 sqm of modern multi-purpose logistics space to the CEE market. The parks are 100% leased.

Panattoni is preparing 36,500 sqm of warehouse space for Grupa Allegro – the largest online shopping platform in this part of Europe. The company is to move into A2 Warsaw Park, which is a huge development with one fully commercialised building of over 100,000 sqm. The new location will allow Allegro to develop its logistics platform to serve the companies that sell goods on its website and speed up the process of fulfilling orders. For this transaction, the tenant was represented by consultancy Colliers International.

Romanian car manufacturer Automobile Dacia extended its lease for the 69,000 sqm occupied in Pitești Industrial Park, a project owned by Globalworth. 

Belgian company WDP, which is developing logistics and industrial spaces, has €116 million worth ongoing projects locally, according to data from the 2020 financial report. Last year, WDP finalised 223,000 sqm of logistics after an investment of €134 million.

Brothers Adrian and Dragoș Pavăl, the owners of the retailer Dedeman, took over 70% of the company through which the businessman Ionuț Dumitrescu develops a logistics park in Craiova under the Eli Parks brand, Profit.ro informs.   

Panattoni has developed a BTS manufacturing facility for Phoenix Contact E-Mobility in Rzeszów. Modern charging systems for electric vehicles will be manufactured and tested at the 15,000 sqm facility, and the production plant will supply them to global companies and operators of the electro-mobility equipment & infrastructure. The products of Phoenix Contact E-Mobility include cutting edge High Power Charging devices, designed for rapid and safe charging of electric cars. The newly completed plant will also include research and development department for new products and technologies.

AEW has acquired a newly developed city logistics asset in Warsaw, Poland. The asset was purchased from Panattoni in an off-market transaction on behalf of a separate account mandate for a German pension fund.

In the new Panattoni Pilsen Digital Park on Pilsen’s Bory terraces, a fully automated plant for the production of 100% recyclable beverage cans will be built in the first phase. It will be used by American company Ball, a world leader in this industry. The investment will create almost 200 new jobs for a qualified workforce. The first building will occupy a third of the planned area. Ball is also setting up its own development centre in the same location.