Covid-19 is not slowing down the innovation and evolution that have characterized the logistics world in recent years; rather, it is acting as an accelerator.
Multiple innovations, ranging from warehouse management to transport, with the use of increasingly advanced means of collecting data, analyzing it, reacting quickly to unexpected events, and reducing wasted time, both at the dock and on the road.
Even internal handling in warehouses, especially in the picking area, is becoming more advanced every day and manageable using specialized robots.
This is what emerged from the research by the Contract Logistics Observatory “Gino Marchet” of the School of Management of the Polytechnic of Milano presented yesterday during the online conference “Contract Logistics: From the emergency, the foundations for a new future“, which saw the participation of almost 2.000 players in the sector.
World Capital took an active part in the event, focusing on the current trends in logistics real estate and how the supply of spaces is evolving to meet demand and the diverse needs of the market.
According to the data emerging from the latest edition of the Borsino Immobiliare della Logistica, edited by World Capital in collaboration with Nomisma, the trend in the Italian logistics real estate market is positive.
Over the years, specifically since 2006, there has been a general recovery in real estate values, which today remain stable in almost all areas of Italy.
However, in some prime cities, such as Milano and Rome, the trend is slightly increasing, due both to the quality and uniqueness of the product, and to the demand which in these areas exceeds supply. Firenze, instead, confirms itself as the national prime rent with a rent average for new properties of €60/m2/year and €51/m2/year for used properties.
Moving on to the trends in the supply chain, it emerged that The pandemic is influencing the transformation of logistics properties, in different ways depending on the type of warehouse.
Space for Factory Warehouses (warehouses attached to factories), Logistics Centers (large production/distribution plants), Distribution Centers (retail company plants for supplying points of sale), Fulfillment Centers (e-commerce operator plants) and other typologies supporting transport activities, such as transit point (goods sorting/consolidation centers) and last mile (transport platforms/courier docks in proximity), the latter among the main cuts that dot the large Italian metropolitan cities.
The last six months have also highlighted the great importance that logistics has acquired for the retail sector, which, rather than outsourcing it, now manages it internally.
Today in fact the aim is to have a more widespread distribution network: the large centers along the highways do not disappear, where land is cheap and spaces are large, ma progressively smaller warehouses located near cities are growing.
The pandemic has not only accelerated the push for innovation, but has also contributed to the development of new trends. In recent months, we have witnessed a dramatic growth in local warehouses and sorting centers. - declares Andrea Faini, CEO of World Capital - This particular period has also highlighted how it becomes the positioning of logistics properties is a priority, such as the concept of last mile, In addition to presence of infrastructure, to ensure a smooth and fast flow of services. The need for a omnichannel strategy, a greater automation component and, above all, particular attention to sustainability of warehousesWe are talking about a value-added logistics, uAn excellent driver for evolution from both a professional and economic point of view.”