Europe's Most Desirable Logistics Locations
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CUSTOMER GROWTH STRATEGIES: EUROPE’S MOST DESIRABLE LOGISTICS LOCATIONS The continent’s supply chain continues to evolve, with location as the key factor OCTOBER 2017 The European logistics market is changing rapidly. Supply chains are being restructured, economies are expanding and e-commerce is accelerating. To understand how these changes are affecting the real estate market and location preferences, Prologis Research and eyefortransport (eft) polled logistics operators across Europe to nd out which criteria are most important and which locations are thriving. The survey was conducted from February to May 2017, with 280 respondents across sectors ranging from retail to automoti- ve to electronics. This report follows on from our ndings about location decision drivers, where we identied ve factors that shape new location selection in Europe. These factors, including the country rank of 100 European locations, are: PROXIMITY to major REGULATORY LABOUR TRANSPORTATION Total costs/VALUE consumption centres environment availability infrastructure PROPOSITION 1. Germany 1. Netherlands 1. Poland 1. Netherlands 1. Netherlands 2. Netherlands 2. All Other CEE 2. Netherlands 2. Germany 2. Poland 3. Belgium 3. Poland 3. All Other CEE 3. Belgium 3. All Other CEE 4. United Kingdom 4. Germany 4. Germany 4. France 4. Germany 5. France 5. United Kingdom 5. Belgium 5. Poland 5. Belgium Note: all other Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) includes Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Romania, Turkey and Russia Major ndings from our research: 1 Immediate access to major consumption centers is paramount 2 Major population centers with the highest consumption are increasingly important 3 Importance of overall costs was comparatively low Importance of labour, whether by proximity as in Western Europe 4 (like the Netherlands) or by cost as in Poland 1 GUSTAV MAHLERPLEIN 17-21, 1082 MS AMSTERDAM , THE NETHERLANDS | +31 20 655 66 66 | WWW.PROLOGIS.COM OCTOBER 2017 PROLOGIS RESEARCH WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Investment in infrastructure and labour availa- investors to understand these long-term drivers of bility are key to the success of a logistics demand. While other components (e.g., supply hotspot. Labour availability and proximity to dynamics, cap rate compression, etc.) are impor- economic networks drive location decision-ma- tant to long-term value creation, an understanding king for logistics users. Therefore, to enjoy the of customer dynamics and shifts in logistics wave of logistics growth, policymakers should networks is vital for making the right investment encourage investment in infrastructure and availa- decision. bility of qualied workforce. It is crucial for UNDERSTANDING THEMES DRIVING FAVOURED LOCATION CHOICE. 1. Immediate access to major consumption 3. Importance of overall costs was comparati- centres is paramount. Access to the gateways vely low. Historically, logistics has focused on of global trade, economic networks and workfor- minimizing costs. However, with supply chains ce availability are the most important location increasingly viewed as a competitive asset, value- criteria for logistics operators. The logistics -based judgements are increasingly part of the corridors and metropolitan areas in Benelux and calculus. Many traditionally more expensive coun- Western Germany best exemplify these characte- tries and markets scored well among our survey ristics. Northern Europe has a high consumer participants, including the Netherlands, Germany, density and well-developed transport networks, Belgium, the UK and France. so it is no surprise that these locations achieved 4. Rising importance of labour, either in high scores for proximity and infrastructure. proximity as in Western Europe (like the Dutch markets scored particularly well for regula- Netherlands) or in cost such as in Poland. With tory systems and multimodality. Many individual changing demographics and increased levels of markets are well-positioned, including Venlo, value-added services in logistics facilities, availabili- Amsterdam-Schiphol, the Antwerp-Brussels ty of qualied staff has become a structural as well corridor (E19), Hamburg, Stuttgart, Antwerp-Has- as a cyclical driver in location selection. Markets in selt corridor (E330) and Central and East Brabant. Western Europe like Southern Netherlands and 2. Major population centres with the highest Rhein-Ruhr house large labour pools and score consumption are increasingly important. In relatively high on the labour location driver. The this year’s survey, large metropolitan areas like availability of a exible and qualied workforce is London, Paris, Milan and Berlin moved up in the an aspect of operational efciency that is increasin- overall rankings. Like logistics corridors, metropo- gly important to the logistics sector. Poland scored litan areas perform well because they are close to well in multiple categories and is among the faste- consumers and support an efcient supply chain. st-growing logistics markets in Europe. In fact, Logistics real estate customers are increasingly Central Poland-Lodź was the rst market outside considering supply chain costs in their totality, Western Europe to win a spot in the top ve and they are increasingly favouring proximity to locations. CEE is a relatively young market and only economic networks and customers/suppliers to became part of the European logistics network in deliver goods to consumers as quickly as the early 2000s, when CEE countries joined the possible. EU. Demand in this region is driven by its emerging middle class and nal assembly industry. 2 GUSTAV MAHLERPLEIN 17-21, 1082 MS AMSTERDAM , THE NETHERLANDS | +31 20 655 66 66 | WWW.PROLOGIS.COM OCTOBER 2017 PROLOGIS RESEARCH EXHIBIT: Europe’s Most Desirable Locations by Market United Kingdom ted these markets across their accessibility to The UK logistics market is distinct from continen- major consumption centers (e.g., Venlo vs. Rotter- tal Europe. Top markets include London and the dam), infrastructure and the support their munici- Midlands. Naturally, London scored well among palities provide to the logistics industry. survey respondents due to the size of its consu- mer base. The Midlands scored well for its Germany proximity to consumers (East better than West), As an economic engine of Europe, Germany but also infrastructure and the support that muni- consistently ranked as a top logistics hotspot. The cipalities provide to the logistics industry. populace and logistics market is spread across many markets. Top markets (in order) include Netherlands Düsseldorf Rhein-Ruhr, Central Germany, As one of the crossroads of trade within and into Frankfurt, Cologne Bonn and Hamburg. Clearly, Europe, the Netherlands ranked consistently as a proximity to trade from Northern European ports top destination. Top markets (in order) include and distribution onward to locations elsewhere in Venlo, Rotterdam, Amsterdam-Schiphol and Germany were a differentiator, as was the presen- Central Brabant. Survey respondents differentia- ce of a large consumer base. 3 GUSTAV MAHLERPLEIN 17-21, 1082 MS AMSTERDAM , THE NETHERLANDS | +31 20 655 66 66 | WWW.PROLOGIS.COM OCTOBER 2017 PROLOGIS RESEARCH Poland rent location factors). Among Italy’s many markets, This logistics market has grown notably since the Milan was naturally the top-ranked following from opening of its national borders. The growth in its economic scale and existing infrastructure. industrial activity coupled with the expanding Preference for Milan increased the most among consumer class mean that logistics is driven by large markets relative to our last survey in 2015. both ends of the supply chain. Ranked as a top-3 Among smaller markets, Bologna stood out ahead country across multiple metrics, Poland scored of all others, benetting from its central location, well, as it offers a strong value proposition, multimodality and ability to reach much of the proximity to Western Europe and extensive trans- Italian population. portation infrastructure. Top markets include Central Poland-Lodź (top 5 location), Krakow, Spain Wroclaw and West Poland—each representing Much like Italy, as a large and established econo- different mixes of these features. my, but one with lower links to global economic activity, trade and links to other major population All other CEE centers, Spain also did not reach a top-5 ranking in Institutional logistics real estate in these markets any key location criteria category and scored also was built post-2000—a young market compared consistently across the different factors. Madrid to Western Europe. The region offers a pro-gro- clearly was the favoured location, as a major popu- wth business environment and low costs, attrac- lation centre with a supportive market environ- ting logistics businesses, especially those with a ment and infrastructure. higher labour component such as light manufac- turing or more labour-intensive distribution. Top France markets include Bucharest and Prague. The country’s ranking was mixed, lifted by the size of its large economy and the quality of the road Italy infrastructure, but limited by the labour environ- Domestic consumption is the primary driver for ment and, in general, the cost/value dynamic. Italy’s sizeable economy, which has limited links Among France’s many markets, Paris was natural- to external economies in comparison to Western ly the top-ranked market given the size of the Germany and Benelux. As such, it did not have a market, the size of the logistics industry and labour top-5