Western Pomerania as a European mini-hub for e-commerce?

E-commerce drives growth in warehouse space in Poland

According to Cushman & Wakefield’s report E-Commerce is Bursting at its Seams and Warehouses are Following, in  2022 e-commerce warehouse space in Poland amounted to 7.35 million sq m, accounting for 30.7% of the country’s total stock.

„The volume of warehouse space suited to e-commerce needs increased by as much as 84% between 2019 and 2022. This, in turn, transformed the perception of logistics and warehouses which finally began to be seen as an element of building a competitive advantage and as an added value rather than as a cost that should be minimized no matter what it takes,”  – says Damian Kołata, Head of Industrial & Logistics Agency Poland, Head of E-Commerce CEE, Cushman & Wakefield.

Logistics development supporting e-commerce will be driven by nearshoring. Due to supply chain disruptions caused by global turmoil, international companies are shifting their focus to European countries, especially CEE, and Poland in particular.

„Within the European Union, Poland is only behind Germany, France and the Netherlands in terms of warehouse stock and, with 4.4 million sq m of new warehouse space delivered last year, it led the way in the EU for new supply. This has solidified Poland’s position as an international logistics and manufacturing hub,” – adds Damian Kołata.

E-commerce companies seek secondary locations

According to Cushman & Wakefield’s report Catching the Business Wave of Logistics and Warehousing in Western Pomerania, the growing trend of nearshoring and the rising popularity of online shopping are expected to incentivize operators to get ever closer to end customers. How? By expanding supply chains to include mini-hubs and small business units near the largest urban areas.

 „Looking ahead, we anticipate that new secondary locations will be opening up. A good example is Western Pomerania, which is an ideal destination for logistics and warehouses which service not only the Polish market, but also Scandinavia and Western Europe, ” – says Paulina Machałowska, Associate, Industrial & Logistics Agency.

The key strength of the region is its location, which attracts investors from Germany and Scandinavian countries in particular. According to May data from Centralny Ośrodek Informacji Gospodarczej (Central Economic Information Bureau), there are 1,472 companies with German, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish capital operating in Western Pomerania.  

 „The investment potential of Western Pomerania is further enhanced by the availability of all modes of transport supporting the movement of goods between the south of Europe and the Baltic Sea countries. The region lies at an intersection of international road, sea and rail routes, with its good infrastructure providing direct access to the European network of motorways, ” – says Adrian Semaan, Senior Research Consultant, Industrial & Logistics Agency, Cushman & Wakefield.

All these competitive advantages translate into a growing number of projects breaking ground to support e-commerce.

 „Western Pomerania already has more than one million square metres of warehouse space dedicated to e-commerce operations, accounting for 44% of its total warehouse stock. This proportion is one of the highest in Poland,” – adds Paulina Machałowska.

Despite many successful e-commerce logistics projects completed in Western Pomerania by both online platforms (Amazon, Zalando, Bestseller), online stores (Hultafors, momox), and logistics operators (FIEGE, Rhenus Logistics, DHL Supply Chain), the potential of the province remains largely untapped.

 „According to last year’s survey from Cushman & Wakefield, one of the strongest trends impacting the Polish warehouse market will be the relocation of operations from Germany and Scandinavia to Poland, including, to a large extent, to Western Pomerania. Despite having a substantial warehouse stock, Western Pomerania remains a very attractive destination compared to Western European markets, also on account of its large labour pool, allowing to launch new projects relatively quickly,” – concludes Damian Kołata.

Report authors:

Damian Kołata, Partner, Head of Industrial & Logistics Agency Poland, Head of E-Commerce CEE

Adrian Semaan, Senior Research Consultant, Industrial & Logistics Agency

Paulina Machałowska, Associate, Industrial & Logistics Agency. 

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