Logistics market Ruhr Region

CONTINUED HIGH LETTING DYNAMICS IN RUHR REGION 

• The Ruhr region logistics market has taken the dynamics from 2021 to the first quarter and, has recorded a take-up of 119,000 sqm. This implies  an increase of 177% year-on-year and also a 7% rise on the long-term average.
• In comparison of the most important logistics hubs, the Ruhr region is only in third place, but if the exceptional deal by Tesla in the Berlin market area is not taken into account, the two top locations, Berlin (160,000 m²) and Hamburg (125,000 m²), achieved only slightly higher results.
• The strong letting activity has also left its mark on rents: In a 12-month comparison, the prime rent has risen by 12% to 5.50 €/m², while the average rent has even recorded the highest increase among the German top markets (+9% to 4.70 €/m²).

WHOLESALE/RETAIL LEADS SECTOR DISTRIBUTION

• In no other leading logistics market has the retail sector been as dominating as in the Ruhr region in Q1. Overall, the sector generated a volume of around 86,000 m² in the first quarter as well as a share of take-up of almost 72 %. Aa a matter of fact, large contracts concluded in the first three months were responsible for this result.
• While retailers were primarily active in the large-space segment, the demand from logistics firms (almost 20%) and manufacturing companies (a good 8%) concentrated more on the smaller segments between 5,000 and 12,000 m² of space.
• The proportion of new builds (47%) and owner-occupiers (39%) has been in line with long-term averages.

HIGH PRE-LETTING RATIO 

OUTLOOK

• Also by the end of the first quarter of 2022, there is no doubt that the successful story of the Ruhr logistics market will continue for the rest of the year.
• The consistently high momentum from the e-commerce sector and the restructuring of supply chains continues to steer demand towards the new-build segment as requests for modern space, particularly in the segments of more than 10,000 m², can only rarely be met in standing assets
• As a result of the interplay between rising construction costs and the unfading pressure of demand, the trend of rising prime and average rents is likely to continue over the course of the year.