There’s no ignoring Amazon’s impact on the state’s industrial sector since early 2013, when the company committed to building its first New Jersey fulfillment center in Robbinsville. Not only has Amazon absorbed at least roughly 9 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space since that time. It quickly emboldened other pure e-commerce players that were hesitant to establish a footprint in New Jersey, amid concerns over having to collect sales tax from customers if they had a physical location here.
Cover Story
Our monthly cover story in Real Estate NJ is a must-read, as we bring you an insider’s look at the decisions, personalities and economic conditions that are shaping the market.
Smart homes: Amazon making inroads in package delivery, sound systems
Amazon in mid-October detailed a partnership with some of the country’s largest apartment owners and management firms to install its smart phone-connected package lockers at their properties, in the latest sign of the impact that e-commerce has had on the multifamily sector. Developers have sought to include more sophisticated package rooms and concierge services into their new luxury projects in recent years, in an effort to handle the constant stream of boxes coming into their buildings.
A new front in grocery wars: Whole Foods acquisition will add fuel to ultracompetitive supermarket sector
The news of Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market this summer came with a bit of irony: Many bricks-and-mortar supermarkets in New Jersey and elsewhere had offered online delivery for years, but Whole Foods wasn’t among them. But at the very least, the deal signaled to those other operators that Whole Foods is not to be taken lightly, especially with Amazon’s stated goal of lowering the chain’s notoriously high prices.
Can tech firms, startups fuel job growth and new office requirements in New Jersey?
In a market that has been hurt by densification and lackluster job growth, many of the state’s largest office leases in recent years have been tied to tenants looking to consolidate and upgrade their space. But technology and information firms have been a rare source of expansion in New Jersey, fueling new space needs that are about more than just a flight to quality.
Making sure the Garden State can grow its technology sector is a matter of creating the right environment and promoting what the state can offer in the way of labor, education and accessibility. Experts say it’s also up to landlords to ensure that they provide the space that tech users are looking for.
Atlantic City 3.0: Riding high from new investment, the iconic resort town is charting a new future
For a place that has been promised a comeback in recent years — only to see it never materialize — experts say Atlantic City is in uncharted yet promising territory that could help usher in a long-awaited recovery. Land prices are at their lowest in decades, local and regional developers with proven track records are investing in the city and the first credible nongaming project in years is under construction, with the potential to bring thousands of students and professionals to the Boardwalk as soon as next year.
