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Singapore’s retail e-commerce market is projected to grow at a 9.9% CAGR from 2022 to 2027, from S$5.8 billion in 2022 to a size of S$9.2 billion in 2027. Emerging trends such as shopping festivals, live selling and online grocery shopping have presented unique challenges for businesses in managing their logistics supply chain. With the adoption of omnichannel retail models and the outsourcing of last mile deliveries to 3PLs, the need for strategically located warehouses becomes paramount.

This report seeks to explain how the logistics sector is positioned to capture e-commerce demand, as well as potential recommendations for landlords and occupiers as they seek to future proof their logistics real estate portfolio.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com.sg/insights/reports/the-evolution-of-e-commerce-and-its-impact-on-singapore-logistics-real-estate

With carbon reduction deadlines looming and regulations tightening, more businesses are adopting fast-evolving technologies to measure, monitor and manage their emissions and guide future sustainability decisions.

Sustainability technologies will account for the biggest share of increased tech budgets for both occupiers and investors over the next three years, according to JLL’s survey of 1,000 companies. Over two thirds of occupiers say tech that helps them to manage and report on their sustainability progress is a top budget priority.

Globally, 45% of occupiers and 62% of investors surveyed plan to adopt energy or emissions management tech in the coming year. Another 62% of investors are interested in tech that supports sustainability monitoring and reporting while evaluating climate risk in portfolio planning is an emerging area.

“Tech is a critical enabler for companies to better understand how they’re doing in terms of their net zero goals through from flagging risks in their portfolio to monitoring their day-to-day operations,” says Ramya Ravichandar, Vice President, Technology Platforms - Smart & Sustainable Buildings at JLL.

“There’s now a mature market to address companies’ sustainability reporting and management needs and ensure they can comply with incoming public disclosure regulations such as California’s new Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act.”

More than three years after the onset of COVID-19, Singapore retail sales have recovered and exceeded pre-pandemic levels. However, foot traffic and retail rents have yet to fully recover. CBRE’s proprietary study finds that consumers are now visiting malls less frequently but for longer durations. Consumption patterns have also changed, driven by the proliferation of e-commerce, rising income levels and increased focus on wellness and ESG.

This report identifies the main trends shaping Singapore’s retail property market in the post-pandemic era and provides recommendations for retail occupiers and landlords to navigate the structural shifts and cyclical recovery of Singapore’s retail market. Government initiatives, the return of tourist spending and a wider selection of locations are also providing opportunities to all stakeholders.

This report was originally published in https://www.cbre.com.sg/insights/viewpoints/singapore-retail-in-the-post-pandemic-era-trends-and-opportunities

Key findings:

• Australia: Across almost all the Australian cities covered, cap rates in all sectors exhibited an upward movement quarter-on-quarter. Industrial assets in Australia with long lease expirations and low fixed-term rent experienced downward pressure on values during the last quarter.
• China: In China, investment activity remains subdued with only individual investors and insurance institutes actively seeking out discounted assets and adopting a cautious approach to investment. This has resulted in subdued market sentiment in the property sector for Beijing and Shanghai compared to Q2. To vitalize the market environment, the central bank of China has been lowering the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) to alleviate the burden on loans, with the objective of unlocking resources for consumption and promoting nationwide GDP growth. In Beijing and Shanghai, the industrial sector experienced a wave of new supply as the take-up of existing stock slowed down. The government’s release of more industrial and logistics land resulted in an augmented supply in the market.
• Hong Kong: Hong Kong interest rates have continued to gradually increase over the past year. Asset values are under increasing downward pressure, which is beginning to be reflected in pricing. Vacancies remain high and rental prices experienced downward pressure across all sectors.
• India: In Bengaluru, Q3 office transaction volumes remained similar to the previous quarter, with a few transactions driven by individual investors as institutional players were less active. Deal sizes were smaller but more resilient, resulting in a marginal downward change in the cap rate in the office segment. In Mumbai, the retail sector is anticipated to gain traction in the near future, driven by demand from the luxury segment and the release of additional supplies of quality organized retail assets. Mumbai industrial demand remained strong in Q3, and the compression in the cap rate was attributed to lower availability of Grade A stock, coupled with a positive outlook from large institutional investors towards the sector. The investors were willing to trade off lower current yields for anticipated future growth in the sector.
• Japan: Some investors may consider Japan a risk averse market for real estate investment since the start of the interest rate hike, primarily due to its relatively accommodative monetary policy. The sales volume of foreign investments in real estate has yet to witness a significant increase, although sentiment and interest remain strong. The Tokyo office sector performed well in Q3, with occupancy rates remaining at a healthy level, especially when considering the challenges faced by some other cities in terms of take-up. This is driven by the return to office culture – government statistics indicate that the hybrid working ratio in Tokyo was 44% in mid-2023, down from a peak of over 64% in 2021.
• Korea: Seoul office assets remain in high demand, with rental levels holding firm for landlords. However, there is increasing downward pressure on values due to a lack of liquidity in the market.
• New Zealand: In Auckland, there has been upward movement for more than a year in the office sector. Transactional activity remained subdued over the last quarter as investors continued to take a cautious approach to the market. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has maintained a steady Official Cash Rate in its last three monetary policy meetings, indicating that rates are at or near their peak in the current cycle. With interest rates stabilising it is anticipated that greater clarity over asset pricing will emerge. This, in combination with the election having been completed, is likely to result in an uplift in sales activity during the final quarter of 2023 ad into 2024.
• Singapore: Cap rates across sectors remain subdued, with a lack of sales evidence to support movement. Increasing lending costs are putting pressure on many investors and owners. However, there are other investors with deep pockets who are taking advantage of this opportunity to acquire assets for long-term investment.