Bumper demand for warehouse space as retailers try to cope with rise in online orders, says Rightmove

Warehouse firms such as Segro have seen high customer demand for space

(Segro)

The lockdown online shopping boom is leading to mass demand for warehouses as retailers try and cope with high order numbers, according to property website Rightmove.

The firm said between January 1-20 it saw a record number of enquiries for warehousing space.

Searches for freehold properties have more than doubled compared to the same period last year, while the number for leasehold sites is 38% higher.

Rightmove’s commerical real estate web pages, which exclude houses, registered their busiest ever day on Tuesday this week, with over 138,000 visits.

The spike in demand comes after a bumper year for online retailers in 2020, as shoppers flocked to buy from websites while high street stores had to close at various points for lockdowns.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics today showed UK online spending surged 46.1% last year.

Alex Solomon, director of Rightmove’s commercial real estate portal, said: “There’s been a greater need for warehouses of all sizes to respond to the increased demand from people shopping online, which has led to demand in the industrial and warehousing sector going into overdrive.”

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