This transaction is part of a strategic investment initiative that emphasizes satisfying customer demand for attractive projects in urban areas. The acquisition helps expand Prologis' footprint and offering in Europe.
"This acquisition is proof that we can make more high-quality logistics locations available to customers and offer them new opportunities beyond real estate. Our new properties are located in close proximity to major population centers that meet the expansion needs of customers," said Ben Bannatyne, President of Prologis Europe. "It is precisely the population density within the range of logistics real estate that is an increasingly important factor for our customers in connection with the continued growth of e-commerce."
Key infill locations
All acquired properties are located in the main population centers or in close proximity to them, specifically in the following countries:
Italy (Rome and Milan),
The Netherlands (Amsterdam and Rotterdam),
Spain (Madrid and Barcelona),
Germany (Nuremberg and Berlin),
France (Paris),
Belgium (Brussels),
Poland (Lodz).
From approximately 85% of these properties, customers can serve markets of more than one million residents within 30 minutes. With the current occupancy of the Prologis portfolio at 95%, further expansion of the customer base can be expected by approximately 110 companies. The newly acquired properties, which are modern and high quality in themselves, are further enhanced by Prologis, for example with solutions from the Prologis Essentials program or services that are part of the PARKlife™ initiative.
Emphasis on urban locations
The growth of e-commerce, demographic changes and consumer expectations after the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the importance of urban logistics locations. Nodes from which densely populated areas can be served are increasingly important for customers.
"There are structural changes in consumer behavior. The evolution of supply chains during the pandemic has given us a rare insight into what real-world storage needs will be in the next five to ten years," said Joseph Ghazal, investment director for Prologis in Europe.
Global reach and detailed knowledge of local markets enable Prologis to execute transactions of such a significant scale. Its teams across Europe work together to develop lasting relationships with partners and anticipate customer needs. Prologis not only responds to the challenges, potential risks and successes in the business of its customers, but also directly takes them into account when creating its investment strategy.
Facts about the transaction
The closed transaction expands the European portfolio of Prologis by more than 1 million square meters and reached a value of 1.585 billion euros. Consisting of 85% of properties located directly in urban areas, it includes 128 properties and 6 new projects in 7 EU countries with a total area of 1.14 million square meters.
