Warehouse boom in Hagerstown about to downsize?
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DC New Now) — It may be a part of a national trend to slow the growth of warehouses on the landscape, but some commercial real estate analysts wonder if the warehouse boom has reached its peak.
Flanked by two interstates, Hagerstown has been an ideal location to support Amazon and other delivery services that expanded during the pandemic when e-commerce boomed.
With COVID-19 cases slowing down, shoppers may want more in-person experiences with retailers.
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“I’m doing more in-person shopping,” Barbara Kennedy said while shopping at the Valley Mall. “Shipping is getting more expensive and I guess I’m just a little old-fashioned; I don’t like online shopping if I don’t have to. I want to see what I am buying and be able to pick it up and test the quality.”
Available space for warehouses to lease has hit a record of 156 million square feet, according to a trio of commercial firms that track the industry.
Instead of stockpiling inventory, retailers are turning to a “just in time” strategy which is less reliant on storing goods in warehouses.
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