E-commerce is booming, driving demand for logistics space. In 2019, just under 700,000 m² of logistics space was brokered in the Ruhr region. With few large greenfield sites remaining in logistics hubs, more major deals are taking place in outlying areas. The lease of 56,5000 m² at MLP Logistics Park Unna, brokered by Brockhoff LOGISTICS, was one of the year’s three largest transactions.

“Thanks to its geographical position in Europe and excellent motorway connections, the Ruhr region has always been an outstanding logistics location. Limited space in the TOP 7 markets is making the region even more important,” says Brockhoff & Partner.

Take-up reached just under 700,000 m², exceeding the previous year’s figure once again, though remaining below the record set in 2016. The three largest deals included owner-occupier transactions by Edeka in Oberhausen (90,000 m² of warehouse space) and Ferdinand Bilstein in Gelsenkirchen (45,000 m² of warehouse space). Between them was the lease of approximately 56,500 m² to L-Shop at MLP Logistics Park Unna, arranged by Brockhoff LOGISTICS. It was the only brokered big-box lease of more than 50,000 m² in the Ruhr region in 2019.

“Alongside comparatively good space availability, the Ruhr region offers another advantage: a relatively available workforce. This is also a decisive factor in making the region attractive to companies,” explains Eckhard Brockhoff.

Rents are rising throughout the Ruhr region in line with strong demand. Brockhoff LOGISTICS recorded the highest rent at Logport in Duisburg, where the prime rent was approximately €5.20/m².

Logistics properties also continue to attract investors. A positive development for the region is that domestic investors have discovered the market and are increasingly investing in the Ruhr region as a logistics location. “Yields continued to decline in 2019, but logistics investment properties remain relatively profitable compared with other asset classes,” says logistics expert Tobias Altenbeck of Brockhoff & Partner.

With the online retail boom expected to keep growing in 2020, demand for logistics space is also likely to increase. “The few existing spaces will be let almost as soon as they become available. Brownfield development will be one of the success strategies of the coming years,” Altenbeck notes.

Brockhoff LOGISTICS also arranged interim leases of existing buildings at MLP Logistics Park Unna until construction of the new L-Shop facility begins, securing sustainable occupancy for owner MLP Group. Essen-based logistics company Van Eupen leased approximately 10,300 m² of warehouse, staff and office space. Finsterwalder Transport & Logistik GmbH uses the existing warehouse, with approximately 6,200 m² of storage space, for cross-docking until dismantling work begins.

In Essen, Brockhoff LOGISTICS brokered the sale of a commercial property at Manderscheidtstr. 27 to BS Grundbesitz GmbH. The plot extends over approximately 11,000 m², and the buildings on it provide around 7,000 m² of usable space.

On behalf of the Zander Group, Brockhoff LOGISTICS sold a property to Aurelis Real Estate GmbH. The property at Nünningstr. 1 in Essen offers approximately 18,900 m² of usable space.

Brokered by Brockhoff LOGISTICS, a logistics property in Essen with approximately 7,000 m² of space was sold to beverage wholesaler Kampmann & Co. GmbH in the middle of last year. The family business is now in its 4th generation and has deep roots in Essen.

Lockamp Vertriebs GmbH will lease 1,338 m² of office and warehouse space at Bonifaciusring 16 in Essen-Kray from 1 February. Brockhoff LOGISTICS found the right location for the company, which will bring together its 3 Essen units at one site to improve efficiency.

Aurelis Real Estate has leased approximately 4,300 m² of warehouse space and 700 m² of office and staff facilities at Martener Hellweg 39 in Dortmund-Dorstfeld-West. The future tenant is babymarkt.de GmbH. Brockhoff LOGISTICS acted as broker. Earlier that year, Brockhoff LOGISTICS had also handled Aurelis Real Estate GmbH’s acquisition of the property, with approximately 10,845 m².

Since 1 August 2019, the property at Hildebrandstraße 19 in Dortmund-Wickede’s industrial area has been fully let. Brockhoff LOGISTICS successfully arranged approximately 2,430 m² of warehouse space and 595 m² of office and staff facilities for Gebrüder Schulte GmbH & Co. KG, achieving full occupancy for the owner.

Schütz Apparatebau GmbH secured a new production site at Am Lindenkamp 50 in Velbert through Brockhoff LOGISTICS. The 6,000 m² plot and building, with approximately 2,200 m² of usable space, were previously occupied by the Zander Group and have now been sold.

Brockhoff LOGISTICS arranged approximately 6,400 m² of warehouse space at the Rhein-Ruhr port in Mülheim for Schenker Deutschland AG, with the lease starting on 1 June 2019. The new hall will serve as an off-site warehouse for Schenker’s Duisburg location, primarily handling automotive parts.

In Duisburg, Brockhoff LOGISTICS arranged the lease of a property at Schulstraße 81 with approximately 2,107 m² of lettable space. The approximately 11,200 m² plot is next to the future Logport VI, in a multimodal logistics hub.

In April, GRUBER Logistics GmbH opened a new location in Bochum and moved into approximately 9,337 m² of warehouse, office and staff space. Approximately 843 m² of the leased area is mezzanine storage, added to make optimal use of the warehouse volume.

Numerous other transactions, some of which cannot be named for confidentiality reasons, also contributed to the strong increase in logistics take-up in the Ruhr region.