Industry Insights: Retail

Retail and logistics are increasingly interconnected

Behind the most successful retail operations are resilient supply chains built to deliver. As consumer expectations, technology, and routes to market evolve, logistics real estate continues to play an increasingly important role in how retailers operate, compete and grow.

Explore our insights on the trends shaping retail logistics.

LATEST REPORT

Logistics demand from East to West

Chinese retailers are entering a new phase of UK expansion.

Read our latest Future Space Focus Report to discover how Chinese occupier demand is evolving, why localisation is accelerating, and what it means for UK logistics space, occupiers, and the wider market.

Read the report

Key stats

Increased Chinese occupier activity is taking place against a backdrop of continued strength in the UK logistics market.

Leasing volumes rose by 21% in 2025, with positive momentum carrying on into 2026. At the same time, UK consumer spending has proved more resilient than many expected. In response, retailers and logistics operators continue to invest in supply chain and distribution assets that improve efficiency, support growth and strengthen customer experience.

Explore key findings

Increase in UK logistics leasing volumes (2025 vs 2024)

Card spending up year-on-year

Value of the UK e-commerce market in 2025

AVAILABLE RETAIL LOGISTICS SPACE

Now Deliverable

Occupied Buildings

Newark

Phase 2 – outline planning consent granted. Design and build opportunities available up to 970,000 sq ft.

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Available Now

Occupied Buildings

Littlebrook

Various

Located on the former Littlebrook power station site, the development features a 2.3 million sq ft state-of-the-art ‘Mega Box’ logistics facility pre-let to Amazon, alongside a 450,000 sq ft asset leased to IKEA.

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Symmetry Park Biggleswade Annotated Ariel CGI of phase 3

Available Now

Occupied Buildings

Symmetry Park Biggleswade

Available Now

Construction is complete on 830,000 sq ft of modern warehouse space in Biggleswade across five new buildings.

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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 retailers, manufacturers and logistics operators 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?

Explore the latest edition

Speak to our Retail Logistics 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.

The corporate shake-out shaping logistics demand

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

Trade turbulence to NI hikes – what’s the impact for logistics real estate?

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.

We Need Power to Empower the UK Economy

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

Henry Stratton shares insights on the UK’s logistics real estate occupational and capital markets

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

5 for 2025: five themes shaping UK logistics real estate

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.

Accommodating the future of UK retail

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.