EXCLUSIVE: Prologis lets last warehouse at Midpoint to Chinese e-tailer

TOP CLOUD Logistics has taken a 15 year lease on DC6 a 164,103 ft2 newly built facility at Prologis’ 65-acre Prologis Park Midpoint in Birmingham, West Midlands.

The Chinese e-tailer specialises in consumer products, ranging from fashion accessories to fitness equipment and baby care. The company’s UK expansion is driven by increasing demand and a focus on strengthening local fulfilment capabilities. Top Cloud joins JLR, DHL and DP World who currently operate from the location.

DC6 has a BREEAM “Excellent” and an EPC A+ rating and certification. It boasts 15m e4aves, 16dock and three level access doors as well as a 50m yard. It has a power supply of 1MvA. 

The deal was secured against a very tight deadline and to this end Prologis took steps to reduce the complexities and costs of fit out installing LED lighting and Fire Alarm helping TopCloud to get its operations up and running faster.

This latest partnership reflects a growing trend of Asian e-commerce businesses snapping up UK logistics space to serve maturing online markets. Recent insights from Prologis Research found that Chinese retailers are responding to increased consumer expectations and delivery demands by establishing direct-to-consumer distribution hubs across Europe.

Earlier this month Logistics Matters reported that Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com took 500,000 ft2 plus at PLP’s 1.06 million ft2 PLP MK scheme in Milton Keynes as part of its overall plans to establish a UK distribution network which the magazine revealed earlier this year.

Both this deal to Top Cloud and the JD.com deal were sorted in short order within weeks of the requirements going live. Some experts are indicating that these moves may be in response to President Trump’s Tarriffs. While supply chains are being  realigned, due to the tariff disruptions, their full effect has yet to be manifest.

JD.com was already expanding its global supply chain network and other Chinese based commerce companies are looking to establish themselves in Europe not least Shein and Temu.