The growth of online retailing, which accelerated during last year’s lockdown as people shopped from their living rooms, is expected to create demand for 490,000 square metres of new warehouse space – the equivalent of about 80 football pitches – per annum over the next couple of years, CBRE research shows.

Online sales, which as a proportion of total retail sales rose to 13 per cent from 9 per cent in 2020 are expected to rise to 20 per cent by 2025 and further rise as Australia plays catch-up with the rest of the world (the global average is 22 per cent) and the likes of the UK and China, whose e-commerce penetration is expected soar above 30 per cent in four years time.