Automation and digitisation penetrating all spheres of life also have a material impact on the economy. Experts of Cushman & Wakefield have identified five key factors that will shape the retail and warehouse market growth going forward.

Total demand on the Budapest industrial market amounted to 103,790 sqm in Q1 2018, marking a 45% year-on-year increase. At the end of the first quarter, there were only four existing schemes with more than 5,000 sqm of available warehouse space. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis.

Polish developer 7R plans to set up a network of small business unit (SBU) warehouses across Poland under the 7R City Flex brand. Tenants will be able to sign one joint contract for the lease of warehouse space in several different locations as part of the City Flex program.

Panattoni Europe will build the main warehouse for Leroy Merlin in Central Poland, Łódź voivodeship. The facility will exceed 123,600 sqm at ground level, which makes it a record-breaking project in the Polish warehouse market. Construction works are scheduled to begin already in Q2 of this year and are expected to end in Q4 2019. The facility will undergo the BREEAM environmental certification process aiming for a Good rating.

Although nearly 120,000 square meters of new industrial / logistics space was delivered to the Budapest market in 2017 which is almost double of the figure delivered in 2016. It may still occur that by the end of the year the available warehouse units with 5,000 sqm+ space will disappear from the Budapest market and its surrounding area, according to Colliers International's latest industrial property market report.

The Polish warehouse market remains in great shape. New year-to-year records are being broken. Gross demand amounted to 4 million sqm, of which 75% was made up of new lease agreements and expansions. This is a 32% improvement compared to 2016. High demand side results are due to the accelerating economy, including internal consumption growing month by month, and an increase in investment by companies. Developers responded quickly to high demand from tenants, resulting in 2.36 million sqm delivered on the market and 1.39 million sqm under construction at the end of 2017. The high level of absorption caused the vacancy rate decrease to 4.5%, according to the report summarising 2017 in the warehouse space market in Poland, prepared by AXI IMMO experts.

The MLP Group has handed over a ready for use, 24,700 square meter warehouse facility to Żabka Polska S.A., located in the MLP Gliwice logistics park.

Panattoni Europe has started the construction of the first logistics centre in Białystok. The developer’s new project – Panattoni Park Białystok – featuring roughly 40,600 sqm, is being executed in full. 50% of the space has already been commercialised. Completion of construction works on the entire investment is planned for the end of Q3 2018.

pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank provided an investment facility of €41.4 million to companies owned by a professional private real estate investor and managed by development and investment company Amesbury s.r.o. The funds will be used to refinance the Zlicin and Chrastany business parks near Prague. Thereby pbb extended the maturity of its financing by another five years. The transaction closed in December 2017.

Panattoni Europe is to build a distribution and online store service centre for SMYK. The facility, which will feature 70,000 sqm at full build-out, will be erected at the Panattoni Central European Logistics Hub in Łódź. The investment will be launched in early January and will proceed in a number of phases. The first 26,000 sqm is scheduled for commissioning in June 2018. The lease transaction was mediated by JLL.Panattoni Europe is to build a distribution and online store service centre for SMYK. The facility, which will feature 70,000 sqm at full build-out, will be erected at the Panattoni Central European Logistics Hub in Łódź. The investment will be launched in early January and will proceed in a number of phases. The first 26,000 sqm is scheduled for commissioning in June 2018. The lease transaction was mediated by JLL.