E-Commerce

Adoption and growth

The continued e-commerce adoption and growth will affect urban logistics real estate. We believe that this will accelerate, making it the dominant form of shopping within a decade. Consumers require more convenience, more transparency and faster deliveries as they order more online. The growth of cities and fast adoption of technology will contribute to the rise of consumer expectations. Tomorrow’s supply chains will need to accommodate higher e-fulfillment volumes which will impact building design and network strategies.

Looking at it from a congestion and environmental standpoint, the traditional last mile in the urban sector is reaching its capacity limits. Next to capacity challenges, the requirement for zero emission transport (such as electric or hydrogen cargo vans or trucks and light electric freight vehicles) in densely populated areas is becoming more important. It will be a crucial factor for future business and requires a redefinition and reconfiguration of the last mile supply chain. This will have a significant impact on the urban logistics real estate sector. There has never been a greater change for the last mile.