The Board of Tritax Big Box REIT plc (ticker: BBOX) is pleased to announce that it has acquired a National Distribution Centre at Weston Road, Crewe, Cheshire. The property is let to Expert Logistics Ltd ("Expert Logistics"), a wholly owned subsidiary of AO World Plc ("ao.com"), a leading European online electrical retailer listed on the London Stock Exchange, which will act as guarantor. The total consideration is £36.10 million.
Built in 2006, this modern, high specification cross docked facility is located diagonally opposite the tenant's other distribution facility and together form ao.com's UK National Distribution hub. The versatile property, which has benefited from significant capital investment by the tenant, has a total gross internal area of 387,541 sq ft., an eaves height of 12.5 metres, an extensive yard area and parking, with a site cover of 49%. The facility is strategically positioned in a core national distribution location, with excellent access to the M6 and M1 via the A50 dual carriageway, with good connectivity to Manchester and Liverpool airports and the Port of Liverpool. The immediate location has attracted major logistics occupiers including Bargain Booze, Bentley Motors Limited and Rymans. The property is being acquired with an unexpired lease term of approximately nine years, which is subject to five yearly upward only open market rent reviews. The next rent review is due in April 2021. DTRE represented the Company on the acquisition. Colin Godfrey, Partner of Tritax, commented: "This dedicated e-commerce facility, which plays an integral role in ao.com's national distribution network, further diversifies our portfolio by tenant and geography. Against the backdrop of strong tenant demand and the limited supply of modern Big Box National Distribution assets, this investment offers the potential for attractive rental growth in 2021." -ENDS-
