E-commerce and logistics companies claimed a larger share of the 100 largest industrial and logistics leases signed in 2018 than they did a year earlier, according to a new report from CBRE.

CBRE’s analysis of last year’s industrial leasing activity in the U.S. found that 61 of the largest 100 leases were signed by e-commerce companies and logistics firms for a total of 61.5 million square feet. In the previous year, those two sectors claimed 52 of the largest leases for a cumulative 43.2 million square feet.

“These figures illustrate that there still is a lot of momentum behind e-commerce uses in U.S. warehouse leasing, despite concerns that the sector’s expansion may be reaching its later stages,” said David Egan, CBRE’s Global Head of Industrial & Logistics Research. “We expect this type of leasing momentum to continue in 2019.”

The two are related in that many logistics companies, specifically third-party logistics providers, handle e-commerce distribution for their clients. Regardless of industry, the largest industrial leases got even bigger last year. The top 100 from last year — spanning uses such as e-commerce, logistics, manufacturing, food and beverage, technology and retailing — totaled 19 percent more space than the largest of 2017.

 

e-commerce and logistics