Opportunity

Hard-discounter chain Action turned to the know-how of Prologis, the global leader in logistics real estate, to power its growth and meet its demanding logistics needs, commissioning its first storage distribution centre outside the Netherlands to manage and distribute products for the chain's sixty-plus French stores.

Challenge

Action, which is in the throes of international expansion and stepping up its store-openings in France, picked Prologis to take on a major challenge: developing a 71, 000 sqm building, with an initial 42,000 sqm delivered to an urgent deadline.

Challenges for Prologis:

• Create a large-scale IPCE (environmental-protection certified) facility to handle a fast-changing range of more than 5,000 diverse products.
• Develop a modulable XXL building to exactly address Action’s issues in the mass retail sector. 
• Fold this project into the wider sustainable development process for re-industrialising an old and now-obsolete site.

Solution

Mission accomplished! After just 9 months of development, in early June 2016, Prologis delivered the 42,000 sqm phase 1 building. Phase 2 followed on February 28, 2017, taking total space to 71,000 sqm. At the opening, Vincent Bröring, Supply Chain Director, Action, said this new warehouse had met all client specifications:

 “As we look to develop and accelerate store-openings in France, we wanted a national logistics platform that could support our growth. Prologis was able to meet our needs by offering an ideally located building (Paris region, A5a and A5b) that was new, customized, modulable and with a wide range of operating authorisations. We are delighted to launch our new logistics platform, the first in France, which is ideally designed and positioned to support our growth drive. We thank Prologis for delivering this building to a tight deadline.”  

As part of the reindustrialization of an obsolete Peugeot plant, existing buildings were demolished to make way for modern A-class buildings that meet the needs of today's users. Materials recovered from the demolition were re-used on-site for new buildings.

The Action building was conceived as an environmentally friendly project and was given BREEAM Very Good certification. Park landscaping and design re-used and improved existing shared infrastructure, notably by retaining as many mature trees as possible. As a member of IBPC (the International Biodiversity & Property Council), Prologis is committed to the site-wide BiodiverCity® process, promoting urban biodiversity throughout the project's life. Prologis is also a key member of the Smart Building Alliance and takes a lead in designing digital solutions to boost all aspects of its assets’ performance. The Action building therefore provides dynamic energy simulation, 3D BIM modelling and an innovative heating system based on Borehole Thermal Energy Storage. This system does away with a high-carbon natural gas supply and instead stores summer solar heat underground, which can then be recovered in winter using heat pumps controlled by algorithms designed using AI and machine learning. The building also benefits from the design of the site to soak up 100% of rainwater collected on-site. This cuts both the carbon footprint and water-treatment costs to the local municipalities. It also helps reduce flood risk and feed local aquifers by allowing free drainage of floodwater.

Takeaways

The location, modulable and evolving design, and environmental performance of Prologis assets are key differentiating points for our clients that help boost both financial and CSR performance. The Action building pioneers a new generation of assets with all these features. The Action project is the first to open in the Moissy II Park, a showcase site for Prologis's skills and ability to anticipate market trends.