The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a series of changes in key supply chain processes. The popularity of e-commerce grew dramatically, the movement of manufacturing closer to Europe – a.k.a. nearshoring – intensified, and businesses became increasingly reliant on the just-in-case inventory management model. The warehousing sector is growing and developing accordingly.

According to PKO Polish Bank, warehouse space in Poland increased by 2.57 million m2 in 2021, beating the 2019 record by 8%. The country’s total warehouse storage area is 22 million m2, of which 5 million m2 is in Warsaw. Only 3.91% of this space is available.

According to Colliers, last year there were 7.5 million m2 of warehouse space leased, 2 million m2 more than in 2020. In June, in response to growing customer demand for storage services, international logistical operator AsstrA increased its warehouse space in Błonie by 40%.

"Our top three customers are invariably from the fashion and beauty or chemical and food industries. We provide them with comprehensive warehousing services covering everything from labeling and transshipment to goods storage. The demand for warehousing services – in particular for cross-docking – increased by 20% compared to last year. This rapid growth was the reason we expanded our storage area," shares Damian Glodowski, AsstrA Warehouse Manager in Błonie.

According to results of the first half of 2022, cross-docking accounted for 73% of warehousing orders from AsstrA customers. 21% of these orders involved co-packing or assembling similar assortments of goods. Turnkey fulfillment involving the full range of warehousing services was chosen by 6% of customers. The storage capacity has been adapted to handle e-commerce orders.

"The development of e-commerce and the popularization of the just-in-case logistics has prompted the sector’s growth. We adapt our services to the needs of our customers. E-commerce customers are using AsstrA's logistics solutions to handle online orders and increase trade volumes. For example, in June one new customer started off by ordering 100-150 shipments a day," adds Damian Glodowski.

The trend toward moving operations to regions that are geographically and culturally less remote will further increase interest in warehousing solutions. In the second half of 2022, this trend in Europe is expected to continue. Storage space in Poland is projected to increase by another 5 million m2.