FEDESSA Industry Report 2023

Every year at the FEDESSA Conference & Trade show, the European Industry Report is presented. This report contains the results of a survey conducted by FEDESSA. The survey will be administered to all organizations and companies affiliated with FEDESSA. The goal is to get a realistic picture of the self-storage industry in Europe.

Average rent

The average rent per square meter decreased slightly year-on-year, 286, down from 290 last year. Over the past five years, it did get more expensive, up nearly 15%. In the Netherlands we are almost always below this average amount, currently around 220. As you know, we have our own branches in the Netherlands where we exchange experience and information in the self-storage world. This still puts us below this Dutch average of 220,- per square meter per year.

Occupancy

The average occupancy rate is down, 78.5% in 2023 compared to 80% in 2022. This was still 81.5 percent in 2021, a downward trend over the past few years. The Netherlands is always above this average, at 80% in 2023, but in previous years it was at least 85%. So despite the Netherlands having an above-average occupancy rate, it is doing poorly compared to previous years. With our own branches, we have also experienced the same thing.

Self storage in Europe

Self Storage has always been a big market in the UK. The United Kingdom sits at 33% market share of all of Europe by 2023. Five years ago, it was 44%. This clearly shows how the Self Storage market is rapidly picking up in the rest of Europe. France went from 11 to 13.5 percent in the same five years and Germany from 6 to 10. The rest of Europe is growing faster than England, which is precisely a sign that the English market was developed much earlier. At Universal Storage Containers we also notice that Self Storage is still very new in certain countries, especially Southern and Eastern European countries, with the exception of Spain, are relatively new to this market.

How are USC’s container parks positioned in the market?

Outdoor storage with the container parks we build is obviously different in the market than indoor storage. Notable is the rise in “remotely managed stores,” completely independent storage locations. Outdoor storage with our containers is ideal for this. With Salland Storage, we have more than five years of experience with independent storage parks. Customers can access their items 24/7 without the need for outside help. Of course, an advanced security system is needed to ensure the safety of the storage, we also covered this in another article that you can read here.

Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important; 73% of operators are actively working on this. At Universal Storage Containers, this is also an active topic. With solar panels and also greenroofs, we are working on a green image for our storage containers. You can read all about this on our sustainable solutions page.