The forces accelerating innovation in logistics real estate

In first half 2020, stay-at-home orders around the world forced people into their homes, and then online to purchase more essential and unessential items than ever before. Salesforce Global Shopping Index showed unique digital shoppers rose 40 percent year-over-year; ecommerce revenue grew 20 percent in first quarter 2020 compared with 12 percent in first quarter 2019; and online purchases for essential goods, including food and personal care, increased by 200 percent.

As regions around the world begin to reopen, the data is showing these trends and changing consumer behaviors will last well beyond the pandemic and will directly affect the global logistics sector and accelerate the adoption of technology.

Acceleration of ecommerce prior to COVID-19

In 2019, 13 percent of goods were bought online globally, up from 6 percent in 2014. Growing ecommerce sales have been driven by several factors and trends, including global digitalization, a large co