The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in sudden and serious economic upheaval for many businesses. Life as we know it basically ground to a halt. Significant drops in sales and a lack of security going forward are now forcing companies to review their cost base. Given that rent tends to account for a large chunk of a company’s fixed costs, the property sector has found itself in a precarious position due to all the sudden changes too. Understanding tenants’ specific needs is key to success in this current climate.
The White Plaza office building is just a few minutes away from Basel SBB Train Station on foot. The building’s rounded façade facing Viaduktstrasse mirrors the design of the indoor market next door, creating a distinctive landmark.
Allreal bought this property designed by architect Richard Meier in a prime location back in 2009. The building has around 20,000 square metres of floor space. Allreal has two long-term anchor tenants in the building: transport and logistics company DSV Panalpina A/S and an international fashion chain.
Identifying customers’ needs
“The merger between DSV and Panalpina in 2019 helped boost our market position with long-term effect”, says Brian Winther Almind, Executive Vice President, Group Property, at DSV Panalpina. The new company structure also inevitably involved some reshuffling. And this had a knock-on effect on the amount of space the company would need in Basel going forward.
Allreal keenly followed any changes involving Panalpina from the word go. “Generally speaking, we think it is important to communicate with our customers on a regular basis. This way, we can keep up with what’s going on with them. This approach allows us to step in to help as soon as possible and to come up with tailored solutions that benefit us all”, says Stefan Hecker. His work on portfolio management at Allreal makes him a point of contact for business customers renting space from Allreal. The Portfolio Management department works closely with the in-house technical building management and property management teams to ensure that customers have access to all the specialist knowledge they may need across all relevant areas. The Portfolio Management department also assesses individual properties and entire property portfolios, which Allreal acquires, optimises for yield and, depending on the objective and market situation, keeps or sells.