New Jersey among top 10 cold storage states in US with 136.7 million SF.

Byline: Linda Lindner

A new report from CBRE finds the growth of online grocery sales has the U.S. market for cold-storage warehouses poised for strong growth, potentially creating demand for up to 100 million square feet of cold-storage space over the next five years.

New Jersey has 136.7 million square feet of inventory ranking it among the top 10 cold storage states in the nation, and an ideal location for major food producers looking for space situated in one of the most well-located port centers in the country.

"Given the ongoing trend of increased demand for frozen and refrigerated food space in well-located gateway markets serving millions of online and brick-and-mortar grocery consumers, New Jersey continues to see strength in the sector," said David Gheriani, vice president, CBRE. "Consumers' increasing use of online ordering and grocers' investment in new delivery strategies and warehouse technologies will continue to drive this trend."

A recent report from the Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen projects that groceries ordered online will account for 13 percent of total grocery sales by 2022, up from three percent in 2018. Such growth would amount to an additional $100 billion in annual grocery sales conducted online.

Much of the...