The rise of e-commerce means that companies must re-think where and how they construct distribution facilities, says Bob Silverman of Jones Lang LaSalle. Silverman notes how other market trends also are impacting facility planning.

Companies that successfully rode out the recession are now looking for better times ahead, but they should be cautious, says a report from Jones Lang LaSalle, which identified five operational issues that companies should remain focused on as the economy continues to strengthen.

Near-instant gratification from shopping online, mobile and in-store is now a standard consumer expectation - and sophisticated real estate models are evolving to rise to the occasion. The omnichannel logistics models that make a seamless consumer experience possible are now built on a foundation of six new types of facilities, according to a report by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

Demand for U.S. industrial distribution centers, larger than 300,000 square feet, is high and rising, according to real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle's first "Big Box Velocity Index". Improving economic conditions, the continuing growth of e-commerce and a deep bench of tenants seeking space have all created this highly competitive fight for industrial and warehousing space. As a result, there is 96.7 million square feet of industrial construction under way, with nearly half speculative, with an average building size of 360,000 square feet.

Omnichannel retailing is here to stay, and retailers not using it successfully are losing sales and profits to those that do. In devising an omnichannel strategy, the natural starting point is the point of purchase "” brick-and-mortar stores and/or e-commerce sites for online and mobile shopping. But customer expectations don't stop when the sale is made. Order fulfillment is every bit as important to winning repeat business. Now more than ever, a well-developed supply chain strategy is vital to retailers' success.

Two executives from industrial realty firm Jones Lang LaSalle discuss issues impacting retailer's distribution site selection decisions, including the growth of multi-channel distribution and rising transportation costs.

Long a go-to for corporate cost cutting, corporate real estate has turned a corner and is becoming a solid productivity driver, with CEOs starting to reap the rewards of enhanced revenue, shareholder value and employee performance. A new Jones Lang LaSalle report reveals that companies that view real estate assets singularly as a source of short-term cost reduction are actually incurring hidden long-term financial and operational risks.