Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic bringing about a significant, and perhaps permanent, shift in e-commerce activity, the “big box” building sector emerged as a prime beneficiary of this shift, as occupiers moved into these buildings “to serve a rapidly growing online consumer base and increase their safety stock to avoid inventory disruptions that plagued the last year,” according to a recent report issued by Los Angeles-based industrial real estate firm CBRE.
The report, entitled, “Industrial Big Box Review & Outlook Report,” defines an industrial big box facility as a warehouse/distribution center of 200,000 square-feet or more, adding that all types of occupiers upped their big box presence over the last year for various reasons, including serving growing populations, being in close proximity to expanding logistics hubs, and to take advantage of new government incentive programs.
