Sentiment in Poland’s logistics and supply chain sector has cooled, according to the latest CBRE and P3 report, “Logistics and Supply Chain Confidence Index 2025/26”. The optimism index declined compared with the previous edition of the survey, falling back below the level considered neutral. This indicates a deterioration in sentiment among respondents. The results show greater caution among companies operating in the sector, further reinforced by the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel prices. Despite this, Poland’s macroeconomic environment remains positive, and companies intend to expand their warehouse space.
The decline in sentiment is primarily linked to the operational challenges faced by logistics companies and businesses using supply chain services. Respondents point, among other things, to high and volatile operating costs, including energy and transport costs, shortages of skilled labour and geopolitical uncertainty affecting international flows of goods and purchasing strategies. As a result, some companies are adopting a more conservative approach to investment and development planning.
Representatives of manufacturing and retail companies are more cautious in their assessment of market sentiment, remaining below the neutral level. Logistics operators, meanwhile, present attitudes closer to balance, signalling only a moderate deterioration in sentiment.
“This year’s survey results show that the logistics and supply chain sector is currently operating in an environment of heightened decision-making caution. Although the macroeconomic environment remains relatively stable, corporate decisions are now more strongly determined by operational factors and cost levels. The difference in sentiment between logistics operators and manufacturing and retail companies clearly reflects different levels of exposure to current market challenges,” says Michał Śniadała, Head of Industrial and Logistics at CBRE.
Caution Amid Growing Demand for Warehouses
The change in the business climate is also visible in the assessment of current operating conditions. More companies — 58% — described them as more challenging than a year earlier, compared with 44% in the previous survey. At the same time, expectations for the next 12 months are slightly more balanced: 40% of respondents expect stabilisation, while 38% anticipate a deterioration in business conditions.
Despite cautious sentiment, there are also positive signals for the logistics real estate market. As many as 58% of companies expect demand for warehouse space to increase in 2026. This represents a slight rise compared with the previous edition of the survey. At the same time, cost sensitivity is increasing, with respondents more often than a year earlier pointing to challenges related to rent levels as well as the quality and technical parameters of facilities.
“Growing demand for warehouse space, confirmed by 58% of respondents, goes hand in hand with a clear shift in quality expectations. Companies are now primarily looking for new facilities, which are preferred by the vast majority of logistics operators planning expansion. At the same time, we can see that Poland has significantly improved its position in terms of investment attractiveness. In this year’s survey, half of respondents rate it as better than the European average, whereas a year earlier this view was expressed by one in four respondents. This is an important change that confirms Poland’s strategic role in the nearshoring strategies of European companies,” says Bartłomiej Hofman, Managing Director, P3 Logistic Parks in Poland.
Automation and Sustainable Development
The CBRE and P3 report also shows the growing role of technology in the functioning of supply chains. Investments in digital solutions and automation are seen primarily as a way to improve operational efficiency and optimise warehouse and distribution processes. Among the most important effects of implementing new technologies, companies indicate increased operational efficiency and better control over processes.
Sustainable development is also gaining increasing importance in logistics. Many companies are implementing solutions related to energy efficiency in warehouses, environmental initiatives and measures to reduce resource consumption. At the same time, respondents emphasise that investment decisions in this area are largely driven by regulatory requirements and the expectations of business partners.
