Key stats
The UK’s cold chain plays a critical role in supporting the availability of food and essential healthcare products, while making a significant contribution to the wider economy.
Industry Insights: Cold Chain
The cold chain keeps Britain moving
From the food on supermarket shelves to essential pharmaceutical products, temperature-controlled logistics underpins everyday life across the UK. Highly specialised real estate forms a critical part of this network, safely storing and supporting the movement of products through the supply chain.
LATEST REPORT
Can Britain’s cold chain stand the heat?
Exploring what changing demand and evolving operational pressures mean for the UK’s temperature-controlled logistics network.
Our latest Future Space Focus Report explores whether the logistics real estate supporting the UK’s cold chain is equipped for both today’s needs and those of the future, and the factors occupiers should consider when making long-term property decisions around location, power, building specification and adaptability.
Major cold stores in the UK
£bn
Annual contribution to the UK economy
k
UK cold chain jobs
%
Nation’s food & drink that is chilled or frozen
Featured Spaces
ABOUT TRITAX BIG BOX
Tritax Big Box is the UK's largest listed investor in logistics real estate and owner of the UK’s largest logistics-focused land development portfolio. We partner with cold chain operators, retailers, manufacturers and 3PLs to deliver the infrastructure that underpins resilient, efficient supply chains.
Through Future Space, our proprietary research platform, we combine market intelligence with hands-on occupier expertise to help businesses understand the trends shaping logistics, identify emerging opportunities and make more informed property decisions.
Looking for our flagship Future Space Annual Report?
Speak to our specialist team
Whether you're exploring UK expansion, reviewing your supply chain strategy or looking for available logistics space, our team can help.
FUTURE SPACE FOCUS INSIGHTS
Browse our insights on some of the critical issues shaping UK real estate and its supporting infrastructure.
Why logistics is retail’s competitive edge
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.
Future Space shows confidence in improving market conditions: labour, technology and power in focus
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.
Logistics Demand from East to West: The next phase of Chinese expansion
Exploring how Chinese occupier demand is evolving beyond cross-border trade, why localisation is accelerating, and what it means for the UK logistics market, occupiers and availability.