A new report into the size and make up of the UK warehousing sector, commissioned by the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) and produced by Savills, has highlighted major growth in the sector and seismic shifts in occupier profile over the last six years.

Key points include a rise of 32% overall in the number of warehousing units, a trend towards bigger warehouses, with demand for units of 1m+ sq ft increasing by a massive 242% and, most telling of all, a radical change in the occupier profile of warehouses.

While back in 2015, High Street retailers were the dominant occupiers, now the leading occupier group is 3PLs, with increased occupation levels of 42% and online retailers, who have increased warehouse occupancy by an astonishing 614%.

The report, titled ‘The size and make up of the UK warehouse sector’, was first published by UKWA in 2015, following research by Savills to create a comprehensive database of all existing warehouse units in Great Britain over 100,000 sq ft. Record breaking levels of take-up have been seen during this time, and the updated 2021 report shows that while warehouse space has risen to 566 million sq ft, vacancy rates remain low at just 5.4%, compared with 7.5% in 2015.

You can discover more and download the full report here: UKWA UK warehousing Report