France – current pipeline

France is the second largest economy in the euro area and one of Europe’s deepest consumer markets, with a population of around 68 million. Distribution is organised along a single spine running from Lille through Île-de-France and Orléans to Lyon and Marseille, where the majority of large scale logistics take up occurs. Île-de-France alone holds some 12 million people and is the largest urban consumer market in continental Europe, while Lyon commands the Rhône corridor and Marseille provides the principal Mediterranean gateway.

Supply is tightening structurally. The Climate and Resilience Law commits France to net zero land artificialisation by 2050, with land consumption to halve before 2031. Consented land in established locations is an increasingly scarce asset, and France’s mature third party logistics sector provides depth of institutional grade covenants across food, retail, ecommerce and industrial distribution.