A new report has revealed how the future of London’s retail sector will be in its local centres, with the pandemic reversing the fortunes of previously ailing high streets. 

Research from Gerald Eve has revealed that occupier take-up of industrial and logistics real estate has soared to another record high of 23.7 million sq ft in Q3, boosted by rising demand from online retailers, logistics operators and low-carbon industries. 

UK retail investment volumes picked up in September to hit GBP755 million, as office and industrial activity remained steady notes Colliers in its latest Property Snapshot report.

Research from Gerald Eve has revealed that occupier take-up of industrial and logistics real estate has soared to another record high of 23.7 million sq ft in Q3, boosted by rising demand from online retailers, logistics operators and low-carbon industries. This beats the previous record of 22.9 million sq ft agreed in Q2 2021 and already marks out 2021 as the most active year on record.

The latest research from The Instant Group has found that in September, average occupancy rates for flexible workspaces across the UK rose to 80 per cent, the highest seen since the pandemic began.

Investment in European property continued to gain momentum in Q3 with the return of big-ticket deals in major markets across the region, according to the latest market snapshot for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) released by Colliers.

Ecommerce sales are forecast to rise from 27 per cent to 30 per cent by 2025, resulting in an additional GBP37 billion worth of online retail sales. With every billion pounds of online retail sales requiring around 320,000 sq ft of urban logistics space, this could drive 12 million sq ft of additional last-mile fulfilment space requirements over the five years. 

Scotland’s commercial property market has begun on its road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, buoyed by investor appetite for industrial and retail warehousing assets, according to new analysis from Knight Frank.

The latest Legal & General Rebuilding Britain Index (RBI) has underlined the scale of the housing challenges facing the UK, with the Housing index showing a second consecutive decline, leading Legal & General to call  for a ‘public and private partnership approach’ to boost housing supply.

The 2021 Global Management Survey, published by NAREIM, INREV and Ferguson Partners, paints a varied picture of real estate investment managers’ recovery from Covid-19. In terms of 2020 financial performance, 38 per cent of respondents recorded a 10 per cent increase in EBITDA, while 32 per cent reported a 10 per cent drop.