When Clipper Logistics began to look at Poland there were a lot of questions that needed to be answered fast. As a long-term investor, developer and manager of logistic properties across Europe, P3 were the ideal partner for Clipper’s Build-to-Suit needs in Poland.
Clipper already knew that size, agility and speed were just a few of the demands of modern retail.
“The most important thing that has changed in logistics is the wide range of different SKUs and less quantity per SKU. So this means that we need a lot of people to move the products and forklifts are not suited anymore to do the job. So for us, social facilities are important (canteen, changing rooms, toilets, etc.) and also to have a storage facility with levels, so people can directly pick the goods without needing a forklift,” explained Stefan van Hoof, COO at Clipper Logistics.
“The future of logistics is building both up… and down,” says P3 Logistic Parks Head of Construction CEE and CZ, Tomáš Kubín.
Read more in an interview with him on P3 Live.
With omni-channel logistics one of the drivers of today’s retail business, Clipper knew that it was their job to solve their customers’ problems before they even knew such problems existed. This meant taking full advantage of the customer-centric approach to retail, ensuring excellence in customer service, effective returns processing, and above all to be able to find and keep the right people for the job.
“We already did a green field in Poland in the smaller cities, but we discovered very quickly that although the labour rates are lower and the unemployment rates were higher it was very difficult to get the right people. So we decided to look at the bigger cities in Poland, and Poznań is the closest to Germany/Berlin,” said Stefan.
The journey to Build-to-Suit in Poland
P3 had long known that Poland was likely to be the next important base for European retail logistics and that just outside Poznań was a key strategic location, which led to P3 buying the land to develop the P3 Poznań logistics park. Initially, back in 2017, Clipper leased 10,000 m2 at the P3 Poznań park. With this prime logistics location facilitating accelerated growth, Clipper soon occupied another 7,000 m2 at the park.
Contracts to process the European returns for another fashion retailer at their multi-user site as well as international home and living retailer’s expansion from Germany into Poland continued to drive demand for Clipper’s multi-faceted logistics services. What was now needed was even more space, 26,000 m2 to be exact, with a number of very special features.
The first was building a warehouse with a mezzanine and a ceiling height of 12 m to increase not only storage space but also provide both a photo studio to catalogue and post new individual products as well as added amenities to attract high-quality employees such as a canteen and relaxation space. Space for busses to bring workers in as well as a sufficiently sized car park were also prerequisites.
“The fact is we are completely ready to develop new buildings of any size and provide Build-to-Suit solutions in as little as six months,” - Piotr Bzowski, Leasing & Development Director for P3 in Poland.
With so many key components needed to ensure excellence, Build-to-Suit seemed the only realistic way to go.
Getting the details right
While speed of construction to meet the demands of their growing business was paramount, so too were details of the space.
“P3 has some good specialists in their organization and have a wide range of experience with BTS projects. So together we were able to get the necessary permits to install a "picktower", which is a really challenging installation because of the fire protection rules,” said Stefan.
“What was different in this particular building is that we delivered a building that was 12 m high, which is kind of the new standard on the market, and that also allowed Clipper to accommodate greater facilities inside the mezzanine. So almost for the same price of the rent we accommodated a 2 m higher building, which allowed Clipper to keep more goods on hand,” explained Piotr Bzowski, Leasing & Development Director for P3 in Poland.
The unique “picktower” allowed Clipper to reduce space in the warehouse, passing on significant savings to their customers and P3 was ably suited to navigate the complicated permitting process and installation catering to Clipper’s specific needs.
As with all P3 building projects, sustainability and environmentally friendly construction were also key issues. Energy saving solutions such as LED lighting and innovative thermo-insulated wall panels were also a component part of P3’s solution, passing on eco-friendly cost savings to their customers.
Continued growth in Poland
With Clipper’s business growing at a breakneck pace, talks on additional space at the P3 Poznań Park are already underway. P3 is already preparing to develop the second stage of the park, which will allow each site to deliver up to 110,000 m2 of logistics space.
“The success of Stefan’s operation proves that you can find people in our region who are happy to work and create opportunities for such fast growing companies,” said Piotr. The proximity to western European markets, especially Germany, a cost-effective and competent workforce and P3’s proven track record of thinking outside the box to find the best bespoke solutions for each and every customer means the P3 Poznań logistics park will continue to satisfy customers.
“We see P3 as a strategic partner because of their knowledge of the real estate market. For us, what is important is not only price but someone we can rely on, someone who meets the promises that have been made, and comes up with ideas for how to solve fit-out issues like the picktower,” concluded Stefan.