E-commerce boom pushes logistics leases to record highs in Catalonia, up 45%

• The Catalan logistics sector closed 2016 with a new record in leases on 773,000 m2
• There are currently 234,000 m2 of logistics space under construction in the Barcelona area

The logistics sector in Catalonia closed 2016 with a new leasing record on 773,000 m2, according to data from real estate consultancy CBRE. This is the second year in a row that the Catalan market has hit new records in logistics leases, up 45% from the figures for 2015.

In this regard, the second ring of Barcelona has seen 45% of all logistics investment. The most noteworthy is a newly built 121,000-m2 warehouse occupied by Mango in Lliçà d’Amunt. In the first ring of the metropolitan area,  Amazon’s new 200,000-m2 logistics center in the Mas Blau business center in El Prat de Llobregat also stands out. These figures are from real estate consultancy CBRE, which highlights the positive moment this sector is experiencing in our country.

The e-commerce boom is behind these record-breaking figures, but so is an increase in exports and consumption. According to CBRE, new investment in the sector will continue thanks to the economic and consumer climate, with figures that show a growing number of companies see Barcelona as the logistics hub of southern Europe. Construction is currently underway on a new234,000-m2 facility in the Barcelona area.

In this regard, one example that backs up the sector’s positive evolution is that the Catalan Land Institute (Incasòl) has awarded French company ID Logistics a plot of land with more than 50,000 m2 in the Palau de Reig sector, in the Valls industrial park. ID Logistics is a large logistics multinational corporation that specializes in DIY, decoration and household goods, with subsidiaries in Brazil, the Indian Ocean, Spain, China, Indonesia, Poland, Argentina, Morocco, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa and Portugal.

Port of Barcelona closes 2016 with record 2.2 million containers
The Port of Barcelona handled a total of 2.2 million TEU containers in 2016, up 14.5% year on year. The Asia Pacific region is noteworthy among the main foreign markets the Port of Barcelona trades, making up 77% of all imports and 43% of all exports. In terms of the content of exports from the Catalan facility, they are led by the food and beverage sector, consumer goods and chemicals.

[02/22/2017]