The Polish warehouse market experienced robust occupier demand in H1 2021, with take-up at 3.3 million sqm. Logistics companies and e-commerce retailers accounted for over half of all space leased. Supply also remains high, with 1.1 million sqm delivered in the first six months of 2021, which is a testament to strong market fundamentals. Very good absorption of space has resulted in a decline in availability, to 5.4% of the stock at the end of June. However, with the amount of space under construction at an all-time high of 3.4 million sqm, the vacancy rate is expected to stabilise in the upcoming quarters. Advisory firm Axi Immo presented its report "Polish Warehouse Market in H1 2021".

According to Savills, the Czech nationwide industrial vacancy rate declined again and reached a new historic low of 2.4%, after dropping by 89 basis points (bps) since the end of 2020. The volume of new industrial space delivered to the market during H1 2021 was 43% down year-on-year (y-o-y). The total stock of modern industrial premises in the country grew by 192,300 sqm, of which 110,800 sqm were completed in Q2 2021. At the end of June, the total stock stood at 9.3 million sqm.

Hungary-based Alfa Group plans to raise approximately HUF 10 billion in its first Green Bond issue scheduled for October 2021. Ohad Epschtein, Managing Partner of Alfa Group International talked to Property Forum about the importance of sustainability and he also shared some details about the company’s expansion strategy.

The total stock of industrial and logistics spaces gained close to 200,000 sqm in the first half of this year to more than 5.4 million sqm and the sector will continue to expand by the end of 2021, according to data from real estate consultancy Avison Young. 

A lack of materials and an increase in the price of construction work is troubling the industrial real estate market in the Czech Republic. Industrial space in desirable locations is in short supply. Occupancy rates in Prague and the close surroundings are rising and vacancy rates have almost reached zero. Tenants are well aware of the situation and it has become more common for them to extend their lease contracts for longer periods, according to 108 Agency’s market summary.

Panattoni is building a distribution centre in Siedlce and by doing so, it is also opening up a new market for warehousing space in Poland. Panattoni Park Siedlce comprising 24,600 sqm is to be an alternative location to Warsaw and shall meet the demands of e-commerce, as well as of local business development. The project is being built not far from the centre of the city near the A2 motorway just over an hour from Warsaw.

LCube is constructing another warehouse park - following their recent project in Jasionka near Rzeszów, (which is still being built), this new site location will be in the town of Dobrzykowice, east of Wrocław. As currently planned, the logistics complex is set to have a total area of 60,000 sqm. The project is being carried out in a joint venture with the Sindbad Group.

Ecologistics, a 3PL company operating in the Czech Republic since 2017, has been expanding recently on the Czech property market, leasing in total 63,300 sqm of Class A commercial space in 4 industrial parks in Prague-West and in Pilsen-Stenovice from Prologis, GLP and Logicor. Ecologistics serves global e-commerce companies whose goods have been delivering to customers in the Czech and Slovak Republics as well as in Germany. The distribution centre in the Czech Republic was the second logistic hub Ecologistics opened in Europe after having entered the UK market. The firm has so far built a robust logistic framework across Western Europe, currently leasing premium logistics space also in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.  

Czech asset manager BH Securities, through its BHS Real Estate Fund, is investing in a new logistics park near Bratislava in cooperation with Panattoni.

The ČS nemovitostní fond, managed by REICO, is acquiring Panattoni Park Tychy DC1 in Poland. The value of the acquisition is approximately CZK 1.1 billion (€42 million). This brings the number of properties owned by the fund to 19.