Companies see direct access to large consumer centres as the decisive factor when choosing a logistics location. Furthermore, proximity and cost of labour have more direct influence on logistics decisions than before. Politicians therefore need to invest in infrastructure and availability of skilled workers.
This is according to research by Prologis. The logistics property company, together with eyefortransport (eft), asked around 300 logistics decision-makers about the factors that, for them, underlie the choice of a logistics location. This revealed five main factors: proximity to major consumer centres, laws and regulations, labour availability, transport infrastructure and cost.
Key selection criteria for logistics locations
Some specific findings emerging from the survey:
- direct access to major consumer centres is the decisive factor;
- large population areas where consumption is highest are becoming increasingly important;
- cost has become less important compared to other factors;
- proximity to labour resources (e.g. in Western Europe, with the Netherlands as an important example) and the cost of labour (such as in Poland) have more direct influence on customers' logistics decisions than before.
"It is clear that labour availability and economic networks in the immediate vicinity are crucial for logistics users," says Dirk Sosef, head of research and strategy at Prologis in Europe. "Given the current climate of logistics growth, politicians should invest in infrastructure and in availability of qualified employees."
Netherlands and Benelux are top regions, central Poland is emerging
Netherlands scores high on five site selection factors. The Dutch market scores particularly high in terms of laws and regulations and when it comes to factors crucial for multimodality for sectors focusing on pan-European distribution. In the survey, Venlo emerges as the most sought-after location in Europe.
With their high population density and well-developed transport networks, markets in the Benelux and West Germany score high on the factors 'proximity to large population centres' and the availability of 'transport infrastructure'. Düsseldorf / Rhein-Ruhr and its three sub-locations Hamm, Unna and the metropolitan Ruhr region is the biggest riser in Prologis' top 10.
Poland also did well in a number of categories; a sign that the Polish market is developing rapidly. Central Poland-Lodź is seen as the best-performing market outside Western Europe.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
