The good times can’t last forever... but could we just have them for a few more years? How long will the boom on the market continue? What are the main risk factors and when are we likely to expect things to go into reverse?

A case study on how the technological revolution on the warehouse market has fulfilled – and failed to fulfil – its promise.

Sheds with beds? City warehouses with apartments upstairs? This is not the stuff of a fevered imagination but something that can be already seen in London. In Paris, two-storey warehouses are being built for lorries to use on both levels. Courier companies, meanwhile, are moving parts of their operations to depots in city centres. How city logistics is transforming the shape of warehousing?

The staffing shortages afflicting traditional warehousing locations, along with the ever-improving road network, have been encouraging developers to look for new places for logistics. In Poland new locations could emerge in 2019 – in the east of the country as well as the west. For example, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Świebodzin and Legnica, but also Olsztyn and Elbląg, could all see distribution centres opening in their neighbourhoods. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these localities? Could they really be an alternative to the major centres?

Sports areas, relaxation rooms and perks – as well as better conditions in the warehouse itself (more daylight and air curtains, etc.) The battle to recruit the right personnel in the right amounts has started to resemble the same struggle on the office market – tenants along with developers have been working overtime to make things pleasant enough to attract employees. How will the situation evolve? And what strategy is the most effective for developers to take?

The growth in e-commerce as urbanisation reaches new levels has been setting fresh challenges for logistics operators. As they strive to reach the end-user as quickly and inexpensively as possible, they are being forced to redevelop their existing supply chains. What lies in the future for e-commerce logistics?

Increasing construction costs and salary levels have been having an impact on the warehouse market. Land prices are also on the rise. How is all of this affecting the activities of both tenants and developers? Does it mean that rents are also set to soar?

As the UK’s exit from the European Union inches on step forwards (and two steps backwards), what immediate impact could it have on the warehouse sector in Central and Eastern Europe, and Poland in particular? And what might the long-term ramifications of Brexit be (if it happens at all)?

Has the increase in trade with China begun to redraw the map of the Polish warehouse sector? Which regions are poised to gain the most from the billions of yuan pouring in Europe in the form of investment, as the trade routes with the East are gradually re-established? What major changes and milestones should we expect to see?