Case study: How CBRE Romania helped an international retailer select a 20,000 sqm distribution hub

One of the landmark assignments delivered by CBRE Romania's Industrial & Logistics team involved advising a major international footwear retailer on the selection of a 20,000 sqm distribution centre in the Bucharest area to support the expansion of its national logistics network. 

 

Led by Călin Badea, Senior Consultant and Daniel Cateliu, Director, Industrial & Logistics, the project illustrates how a structured, data-driven advisory approach can transform a complex real estate decision into a transparent, evidence-based process aligned with a client's long-term business objectives. 

 

The selection process developed by the CBRE Romania team consisted of three key stages:

• identifying a competitive pool of 10 developers, with 14 potential locations evaluated under identical conditions;
• defining the evaluation criteria and their respective weightings together with the client, using CBRE's proprietary Scoring Matrix methodology;
• validating the final decision through a geographic and operational data analysis performed using Panorama, CBRE's proprietary analytics platform.

 

"The most critical stage was defining what truly mattered to the client and translating those priorities into measurable evaluation criteria. That ensured the final recommendation reflected the operational realities of the business, rather than a purely financial comparison,"  says Călin Badea, Senior Consultant, Industrial & Logistics, CBRE Romania.

 

CBRE's analysis included real transportation times to the retailer's store network, connectivity to customs checkpoints, workforce accessibility, and the impact of each location on the client's ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) objectives, factors that go well beyond a simple comparison of rental rates or available space.

 

Following the evaluation process, the retailer selected the solution developed by Eli Parks, one of Romania's leading industrial and logistics developers, which delivered a 20,000 sqm build-to-suit distribution center in northern Bucharest.

 

Although the project was completed two years ago, the challenges addressed by the CBRE Romania team remain highly relevant today. Retailers continue to expand their networks, omnichannel commerce is driving increasingly complex logistics requirements, and pressure to optimize costs while meeting ESG targets continues to grow. CBRE Romania continues to apply the same methodology in similar projects.

 

"For investments that shape a company's operations for the next decade, the quality of the decision-making process is just as important as the asset itself. Whether advising on a current mandate or reflecting on a completed transaction, the principles remain unchanged: rigorous analysis, market expertise and a methodology tailored to the client's strategic objectives," concludes Daniel Cateliu, Director, Industrial & Logistics, CBRE Romania.