Temporary custodians: logisticians are buying up warehouse equipment en masse

Against the background of the growing volume of cargo transportation, logisticians are forced to optimize their resources. The demand for containers and storage equipment has increased significantly due to the expansion of warehouse space and the need to optimize logistics processes. In addition, the industry is preparing for the New Year and the expected increase in the flow of goods. Spontaneous warehouses consisting of containers, as well as individual mini-warehouses for storing things, have become popular. See the Izvestia article about how the logistics market is being rebuilt to meet new conditions.

Why has demand increased

Demand for logistics equipment in the third quarter of 2025 increased by almost a third compared to the same period last year, analysts told Izvestia. In particular, according to Avito, the demand for containers has grown most noticeably — by 69% over the year.

"Used logistics and warehouse equipment was 40% more frequently used over the year, while new equipment was only 1% more frequently used," the platform's experts added.

The trend was confirmed by Mikhail Koptev, Commercial Director of the Skif-Cargo federal company. This is due to the expansion of warehouse space and the need to optimize logistics processes.

"Containers, storage systems and basic storage equipment are in high demand today, from shelving to lifting and transport equipment," he said. — This reflects the general trend towards the development of logistics infrastructure. We use both new and used equipment.

The secondary market, he said, has become noticeably more active — it allows you to cover needs faster and save your budget, especially when expanding warehouses or temporary projects. The main thing is to check the technical condition and reliability of the supplier.

After the withdrawal of the largest foreign manufacturers from the Russian market, the business has two options left, said Harold Vlasov, Managing Director of 3PL operator NC Logistic.

"Either try to purchase familiar models abroad at an inflated price, with prepayment and without any guarantee, or reorient to the secondary market," he said. — In most cases, they choose to purchase used equipment that has undergone routine maintenance. Some of the equipment is being purchased as a donor for repairs to extend the life cycle of the existing fleet.

Labor Guardian: logisticians are reviewing their approach to hiring due to staff shortages

Finding employees is hampered by high salary expectations and low skill levels.

There is a steady demand in the secondary market not only for equipment — stackers (used for lifting, moving and stacking goods on pallets) and loaders — but also for warehouse systems in general: sorting lines, conveyors and automated solutions.

In addition, the dynamics in the cargo transportation market is also determined by seasonal trends, Artem Khomyshin, Commercial Director of Orientir Group, recalled. Logistics is currently in the process of preparing for the New Year period: the volume of goods flow to the country is increasing in order to ensure sales during the holiday season. Therefore, there is now an increased demand for containers and storage equipment.

What is the situation on the warehouse market?

Last year, road transportation increased by 8.3%, reaching 7 billion tons, and this trend continues, said Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets. According to the latest data from Rosstat, in the first eight months of 2025, the cargo turnover of motor transport in the commercial segment increased by 37.3%, and the volume of traffic increased by 12.7% compared to the same period last year.

In the first nine months of this year, 1.8 million square meters were bought and leased in Moscow. m warehouses, said Pavel Yakimchuk, partner, Head of the Construction Project Management Department at the Commonwealth Partnership. Another 1.1 million square meters. m new premises have been built.

"The weighted average rate of a ready—made high—tech room in Moscow in 2025 is 11.6 thousand rubles per square meter," he said. — Rental rates of premises under construction amount to 9-13 thousand rubles per square meter.

At the same time, there was a decline in the warehouse construction market during the year compared to 2024, said Vladimir Komlev, managing partner of Bildservice, member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya.

"One of the main reasons was the high key interest rate of the Central Bank," he said. — However, already in August, the market gradually began to revive, and demand was recovering. An additional incentive for new warehouse facilities under construction is the continued growth in the popularity of e-commerce. The buyer is used to the convenient method of delivering goods simultaneously from different manufacturers and product categories.

At the same time, 2025 promises to be a record year in terms of warehouse space commissioning, said the President of the Alliance of Real Estate Market Experts Association Yana is a cousin.

"The market has entered a saturation phase and is balancing between a high volume of new supply and a slightly shrinking demand against the background of expensive money," she said. — At the same time, some of the new facilities are formed due to abandoned projects that were originally created "for the client."

The reduction in demand, she said, is a relatively short-term phenomenon in this segment, as there is pent-up demand and customer expectations of lower rates and lower prices.

Gruesome view: logisticians are asking for preferential loans, fearing bankruptcy

Many firms are on the verge of bankruptcy due to a sharp increase in costs.

The active development of marketplaces and the gradual demise of purchases of goods through the offline trading system provide an objective analytical assessment of the warehouse development market as an investment-attractive one, Vladimir Komlev added.

"Companies try to optimize their costs at all stages of sales and therefore turn to options in the form of creating warehouses from containers," the expert explained. — The reduction in price begins with the fact that used containers are used. In comparison with the full-fledged development construction of warehouses, the construction of these structures takes much less time.

The forecast volume of warehouse construction by the end of the year may reach up to 4 million square meters. m. However, demand may decrease by up to 47% compared to the same period last year and reach the level of the pandemic years, Pavel Yakimchuk added.

How spontaneous warehouses appear

One of the main trends in logistics is the purchase of used equipment and containers, confirmed Alexey Ivanov, the owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network.

"The savings here are real: used shipping containers are 15-20% cheaper than new ones, while retaining all functional characteristics," he noted. — The so—called spontaneous warehouses, logistics sites assembled from containers, are becoming particularly popular.

For small and medium-sized businesses, this is more profitable than renting a large warehouse: renting a 20-foot container costs 13-19 thousand rubles per month against the many times higher costs of a classic warehouse. Plus, mobility — the container can be transported if necessary, which gives flexibility in planning.

The storage of products in containers by many importers and suppliers, as a rule, is not related to market necessity, but to the specifics of the organization of supply chains, said Artem Khomyshin.

"Companies often just don't have time to set up full—fledged warehouse solutions," he said. — Meanwhile, storage in a warehouse is more economically profitable: you have to pay significant amounts for a simple container. In addition, when stored in containers, it is impossible to efficiently select orders — products must still arrive at distribution centers, where shipments are formed for retail chains or end customers in accordance with the order specification, rather than the import delivery specification.

Where they are heading: the logistics industry lacks about a million employees

Companies are forced to hire young and inexperienced specialists — which professions are in demand

In case of liquidation or relocation of the business, containers are easier to dismantle and move, Vladimir Komlev added. But such alternatives to warehouses are in many ways more of a forced measure. The container material itself is susceptible to corrosion, there is no sound insulation, storage conditions are unstable, depend on humidity and temperature differences.

— Expensive injections for insulation and ventilation are required to equip a reliable container box, — said the expert. — From which we can conclude that the popularity of economical storage methods, although present on the market, is not suitable for everyone.

In addition, the demand among Russians for storing things in warehouses has increased. According to the analytical resource Chek Index of the OFD Platform and the Russian MegaSklad individual storage warehouse service, the number of people who store things in warehouses and storerooms increased by a quarter in 2025. The largest growth was shown by the rental of warehouses for storing tires, seasonal items, as well as the rental of space for sports equipment.

According to Igor Rastorguev, the industry faces challenges — a shortage of qualified drivers, rising costs, and the need to adapt to new routes. To do this, companies are implementing modern transportation management technologies, developing unmanned vehicles, and building new distribution centers.

"All this creates the foundation for further sustainable development and strengthening of the country's transport infrastructure," the expert emphasized.

In the near future, the demand for warehouse facilities in 2025 may decrease by 20% compared to 2024 due to the cooling of the activity of large marketplaces, Alexey Ivanov believes. But the growth of the manufacturing sector and import substitution will support the demand for logistics infrastructure.