'You can't always get what you want' sang the Stones in 1969, but in 2022 this is no longer valid. Due to the massive embrace of online shopping almost all consumer goods are just a few clicks away.
A Outside the eye of the city life consumer, a complex logistics operation takes place after placing an order. A chain of small and large distribution centers ensures that the purchased product is delivered to the consumer, meeting all expectations that are promised by pushing the ‘order now’ button. Consumers are often unaware of the transport chain that they cause by doing a online order and are not exactly critical of their own role in the process.
Although during the corona period the pressure on the order and distribution system has further increased, it has exposed to the extreme how dependent we are as a ‘city life’ consumer of our livable and smart cities. Not only the convenience and speed of the e-commerce has created these 24/7 consumers. It's more than that: E-commerce is the product of a changing society, alternative forms of cohabitation and differentiated residential environments.
The pandemic has accelerated the slow emerging transition and ensured that retailers, producers, shippers, and logistics service providers see themselves up to the challenge to guarantee supply, to increase stock and send orders in real time. It has put unprecedented pressure on the existing distribution centers and led to new opportunities for developers and investors in logistics real estate. Read more.
Every month a column is published on a topic related to the value of the city. In it a vision is given on the social relevance of cities, urban development and therefore also real estate. This vision is based on internal research and dialogue with internal and external stakeholders, in close collaboration with consultants and analysts from our Real Estate Strategy & Innovation team.
