Shopping centres in Poland were reopened on 4 May. This is an indication that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for landlords and tenants, but the ongoing pandemic will have an enormous impact on the entire retail industry. Sylwia Wiszowata-Łazarz and Joanna Kłusek from Cushman & Wakefield talked about the current market situation, changing consumer habits and what actions to take to ensure a safe return of shoppers to brick-and-mortar stores.

Gross demand in Q1 2020 was almost 950,000 sqm with new deals and expansions dominating the market. New space delivered in the first quarter of 2020 totalled 440,000 sqm. JLL summarised the situation on the Polish industrial market at the end of Q1 2020.

The first quarter of 2020 ended on the industrial market with good results on both the demand and supply side. Poland’s total warehouse stock surpassed the 19 million sqm mark, reveals a report by Cushman & Wakefield.

Since the first COVID-19 cases in Poland were diagnosed, analyses and reflections on the impact of the pandemic on the real estate industry have been conducted. One of the most interesting issues is the situation on the office market, especially if we take into account the changing needs of companies and their employees. Property managers and owners try to be constantly updated to meet the expectations of tenants and support their business. Marta Wiewiórowska-Kudła, Leasing Manager at Hines Polska summarised how this market has developed recently and what may change in the future.

Poland’s total industrial stock at the end of Q1 2020 amounted to over 18.95 million sqm (+15% y/y). The quarter’s solid results were driven by steady tenant demand as well as stable rental rates, which despite the growing COVID-19 pandemic maintained their height in most markets. On the investment side, only in Q1 2020, the volume of transactions was comparable with the whole of 2019.

Although plans related to the introduction of new projects will now be thoroughly verified, investors' interest in the hotel sector in Poland is still high. The latest report by consulting company Walter Herz shows that the number of categorized hotel facilities in Poland has increased by over 30% since 2012.

The industrial sector is considered one of the most resilient to the negative economic consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak as it benefits from the growing popularity of online shopping, especially in recent weeks. Although there is not much difference between market data for Q1 2020 and Q1 2019, opportunities and risks for the logistics sector resulting from the current situation will not be known until later months, depending on how the pandemic unfolds, according to Savills.

Electro-IT and home & deco online retailers take up approximately 370,000 sqm of storage space and this volume could increase by at least 50% in the next two years, due to the development of online commerce, reveals the Romania e-commerce research report launched by CBRE.

Retail which continues to evolve in response to changing consumer preferences and expectations has once again to adapt to the new reality quickly. The global pandemic has left many stores and restaurants shuttered. Industry forecasts that a number of brands will permanently close this year. Every day brings a set of new challenges as we navigate this unexpected crisis. How are the unprecedented challenges of the global pandemic impacting retail? Cushman & Wakefield Poland tried to answer this question in its latest report.

At the end of the Q1 2020, the total supply of modern warehouse space in Poland exceeded the level of 19 million sqm. The Warsaw market (three zones) maintained its leading position and accounted for nearly 23% of the total supply in the country (4.3 million sqm), Colliers International reports.