FUTURE SPACE: INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

In a game of fine margins, the battleground has moved. No longer confined to the shop floor or even online, it is now behind the scenes. Less glamorous, but far more decisive, logistics networks are where retailers can cut through and set themselves apart.

Now in its ninth year, the Future Space survey was conducted in Q4 2025 by supply chain market analysts Analytiqa on behalf of Tritax Big Box and Savills.

Tritax Management’s Head of Research Henry Stratton shares insights on the corporate shakeout shaping UK logistics demand.

From Liberation Day and triple digit tariffs to a 90 day pause, US trade news has filled front pages and moved markets, fuelling a predictably unpredictable start to 2025.

The threat of Scunthorpe’s closure generated national uproar. Protests were held, Chinese ‘sabotage’ blamed, and Labour even saw fit to recall Parliament.

Given the positive drivers in our sector, there are many reasons to be optimistic as we look ahead.

A surprisingly convincing US election result and a tax-raising UK budget, described by the Chancellor herself as a ‘one-off reset’, ensured a lively news flow in the final months of 2024. 

Facing a £7bn hit from higher NI and national living wage, it’s been well reported that many UK retailers are investing (or plan to) in new technologies to protect margins and improve the customer experience.