Nearly half (43 percent) of UK businesses regard reducing the cost of running warehouse operations as their most critical challenge for business improvement - even more critical than speed of fulfillment.

Britain's manufacturing companies are driving a trend towards greater use of automated storage and handling systems. That is the view of Steve Richmond, director of Jungheinrich UK, systems and projects division.

DPD, one of the fastest-growing parcel carriers in the UK, has confirmed that it plans to build a new $155m parcel hub at Hinckley Commercial Park in the East Midlands.

A groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction for one of Switzerland's most advanced logistics centres, built by Schenker Schweiz AG. The new logistics hub will include office buildings, on a 38,500 square-meter property in Pfungen, Canton Zurich.

DHL Supply Chain is investing $11.3m in a new end-of-route shared user hub at Heathrow. Scheduled to open in early 2014, the facility will offer airlines a turnkey solution for end-of-route return catering requirements on long haul flights.

Retailers will drive demand for up to 270 million square feet of warehouse space in Europe, including 33 million square feet for e-commerce, according to a report by Jones Lang LaSalle.