Ground-breaking ceremony for Decathlon at Garbe Logistik-Park Westfalenhütte Dortmund

"Omni-channel retail is forcing the dissolution of the coexistence of offline and online retail. Hybrid logistics centers are needed that ensure replenishment for stores and delivery to online customers under one roof," explains Jan Dietrich Hempel, Managing Director of Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH. "The new facility is designed with this in mind and also enables returns to be processed quickly and efficiently."

The hybrid property is scheduled for completion in December and will then be leased to Decathlon by Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH for an initial period of ten years. Decathlon manages the entire value chain from research to logistics and distribution from a single source. The sporting goods manufacturer and retailer will therefore operate the facility itself. To date, the company has mainly been known in the region for its stores in Dortmund-Aplerbeck, Dortmund-Kley and Herne. Up to 700 new jobs will be created in the logistics center. "Above all, we want to supply our stores in northern Germany from Dortmund," says Ludger Niemann, spokesman for corporate development at Decathlon Germany. To date, all stores have been supplied from the logistics center in Schwetzingen near Heidelberg, which will be relieved of some of its workload once the facility in Dortmund is up and running. Decathlon relies on automated systems for fast order processing in the online business and will equip the logistics property with sophisticated sorting technology. "Online retail is a growth area for us that we want to expand," emphasizes Ludger Niemann. E-commerce returns will also be checked and processed in the new hall. In addition, Decathlon will operate a 1,150 square meter service point in the logistics center, where bicycles and skis, for example, can be serviced.

"Logistics is a job engine in Dortmund," says Lord Mayor Ullrich Sierau. "Garbe also plays a significant role in this. The establishment of Decathlon once again highlights Dortmund's locational advantages. With the transformation of Westfalenhütte into a central logistics location in Germany and Europe, we have taken the right path. Things are moving forward here with new work in an old location."

The logistics center for Decathlon is the fourth property to be built at Garbe Logistik-Park Westfalenhütte. The Hamburg-based logistics real estate developer has already built two halls there for Schenker Deutschland AG and another facility for ID Logistics. In May, NicLen Gesellschaft für Elektronik, Handel und Vermietung mbH occupied the extension areas that were built for ID Logistics during the construction of the logistics center, and all halls are now fully let. However, there is still space for further properties. "We have a total of 450,000 square meters of land at Westfalenhütte. In addition to the existing 80,000 square meters, a further 120,000 square meters of hall space can be built," says Jan Dietrich Hempel.

In the ground-breaking photo (from left): Dominique Tousch, Head of Technology Decathlon, Ludger Niemann, Spokesman Corporate Development Decathlon, Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of Dortmund, Jan Dietrich Hempel, Managing Director Garbe Industrial Real Estate, Marc Philip Kaufmann, Managing Director Corporate Development Decathlon and Stéphane Montini, Managing Director Decathlon Germany.

About Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg, is one of the leading providers and managers of logistics and corporate real estate in Germany. For more than 20 years, the company has been one of the most important independent cooperation partners for transportation and logistics service providers, trade and manufacturing industry. Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH develops, buys and sells, lets, manages and finances high-quality commercial real estate that can be re-let in attractive national and international transportation and industrial locations. With around 3.4 million square meters of land and almost 1.7 million square meters of warehouse space, Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH currently manages 71 properties at 55 locations in three countries with a value of over one billion euros.