Industrial Space Demand to Approach Record Levels in 2014 | Industry News

A new report released by the NAIOP Research Foundation says that net demand for industrial space could reach 250 million sq. ft. in 2014, surpassing the near-record level of 233 million sq. ft. set in 2013.  

 

 

The significant level of absorption is due to the expected return of housing construction, which requires warehouse space for building materials, appliances, and furniture; the continued expansion of e- commerce which shifts goods from retail stock rooms to fulfillment and distribution centers; and the improving economy expected to grow by more than 3%.   

 

 

“Demand for all types of industrial space – warehouse, fulfillment/distribution center, manufacturing and flex – is robust,” said Thomas J. Bisacquino, president and CEO of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. “An intense increase in e-commerce has steepened the demand for distribution and fulfillment centers, and companies are gobbling up space as a result.” 

 

 

Study authors, Dr. Hany Guirguis and Dr. Joshua Harris, predict growth will most likely result from the construction and retail trade sectors. Increases in new housing starts, up 18% in 2013, will likely continue due to sustained population growth and lack of new housing currently available on the market. Falling unemployment rates and increased growth in the U.S. have enabled families to spend more, fueling gains in retail sales, which set another all-time high in December 2013. The combined forces of these two trends likely will result in continued growth in demand for warehousing and distribution facilities, specifically from the retail trade and housing construction sectors. 

 

 

Report highlights:  

“We see the return of housing as a significant part of the economy driving the need for industrial space, as building products and materials need to be warehoused and shipped across the nation to meet local demand. Further, each new housing unit will need to be furnished and will create demand for other household goods, which in turn fuels even more industrial space demand. These are long-term trends and thus partially explain the forecast of strong levels of industrial space absorption,” said Harris.  

 

 

“While we are encouraged by this positive growth in industrial, it is important to recognize that the same demand isn’t being experienced across the industry,” said Bisacquino. “The commercial real estate industry as a whole has yet to reach its full potential, due to uncertainties about fiscal policy and an unsteady economy.”