Cushman & Wakefield Echinox: Demand for industrial and logistics spaces, up by 31 percent in Q1

The industrial and logistics market had a promising start of the year, with almost 260,000 sqm being leased in Q1, corresponding to a 31 percent y-o-y increase, according to a report by the Cushman & Wakefield Echinox real estate consultancy company.

Another positive sign was related to the increase of the net take-up share in the overall leasing volume, to a level of 70 percent (181,000 sqm) in Q1 2025, compared with 59 percent in Q1 2024 and vs 62 percent in Q4 2024.

Rodica Târcavu, Partner Industrial Agency Cushman & Wakefield Echinox: “We are glad that Romania manages to maintain a sustained pace of development in the current volatile climate, with many economic and geopolitical challenges, both nationally and globally, showing both attractiveness and confidence towards developers, but also towards companies active in different sectors – distribution, logistics, and also production. Although there are several players who are adopting a more cautious approach and who have decided to restructure/ streamline their production activities, there is also a wide range of companies which continue to believe in the potential of the Romanian market on the medium and long terms, considering it an attractive destination for investments. We are specifically referring to large production facilities which have recently expanded – De Longhi in Satu Mare (HORECA), Heco – automotive industry components/ screws in Campia Turzii, Trendyol and LPP on the retail segment – in Bucharest, NewCold – logistics/ distribution of frozen products – Bucharest.”

Bucharest had a dominant 65 percent share in the total Q1 demand, followed by Timisoara with 12 percent, these cities also being the largest industrial and logistics destinations in Romania.

The largest transaction signed in the analyzed period pertained to Delamode’s renegotiation and expansion in CTPark Bucharest (31,000 sqm in total). LPP also expanded its footprint in CTPark Bucharest West with an extra 23,000 sqm, while the Dutch company NRF leased 20,100 sqm in MLP Bucharest West. RPW Logistics completed the largest transaction outside Bucharest, namely a renegotiation of their current contract – 15,700 sqm in VGP Park Timisoara.

The total industrial and logistics stock Romania reached 7.71 million sqm at the end of Q1, a quarter when developers completed new projects with a leasable area of 142,000 sqm across the country.

In terms of supply, Bucharest benefited from the completion of new projects totaling approximately 50,000 sqm, while other important deliveries were noted in cities such as Pitesti (22,000 sqm), Timisoara and Brasov (12,000 sqm each) or Baia Mare (11,000 sqm).

The industrial and logistics stock in the country is very likely to reach the 8 million sqm threshold by the end of the year, given that the current under construction pipeline is approximately 345,000 sqm. New projects of more than 230,000 sqm are under development around Bucharest, as the total stock in the capital city is rapidly approaching the 4 million sqm benchmark.