Decentralised Warehouse Management

Establishing multiple, strategically located warehouse hubs closer to consumers to improve delivery speed, flexibility and resilience in supply chains.

Theme: Integrated Logistics
Industry Adoption: ⚫ ⚫ ⚪ ⚪ Early Adopters
Impact: ⚫ ⚫ ⚪ Significant

Decentralised warehouse management reimagines supply chains by positioning inventory hubs closer to end consumers. This strategy improves delivery speeds, builds resilience against disruptions, and offers greater adaptability in today’s volatile global market.

Decentralised warehousing is gradually gaining traction. By the end of 2025, an estimated 962 micro-fulfilment centres are projected to be operational globally, highlighting promising early adoption within the retail sector . There are currently fewer than 80 patents and around 30 publications, offering potential for future growth. Notably, C-Suite mentions remained stable at 5 in both 2022 and 2024, indicating a cautious yet consistent level of engagement. Overall, the trend remains in early adoption, poised for further expansion.

people
Startups  (Sum of startup since 2015) 

N/A 

clipboard-check-text
Innovation Patents Total (2019-2023)
~80
people
C-Suite Mentions 2022 vs 2024
2022: ~5
2024: ~5
chemical_bottles
Science Publications (sum) 
~30
Average values of the top ten trends: Startups: 57; Patents 9,327 (thereof 316 groundbreaking); Science Publications: 6,141; C-Suite Mentions 1,376; More C-Suite mentions typically signal that trends are in the early or early adopter stage, while fewer indicate movement towards full integration or the industry standard. 
maersk shipment

Explore the Global Logistics Trends of 2025

Find the trends relevant to you in The Logistics Trend Map

What are the challenges?

Challenges of decentralised warehouse management include high operational costs associated with maintaining multiple hubs, increased inventory carrying expenses, and financial risks tied to long-term commitments. Additionally, balancing economies of scale with the flexibility offered by decentralised models remains complex.

What are the opportunities?

Decentralised warehouses create opportunities for faster deliveries and greater customer satisfaction by enhancing supply chain resilience. Businesses can reduce last-mile logistics costs and handle returns more efficiently while ensuring continuity during unforeseen disruptions.

Sources:

  • Statista (2021).
  • Survey among 500+ global logistics decision makers across various industries, conducted by Statista for Maersk (Q4 2024).
  • In-depth interviews with global industry experts, academia, and futurists.
  • Unstructured web sources with more than 10,000 search term permutations using AI.
  • Curated data from startup databases, patent databases, and analysis tools, as well as Semantic Scholar.

The Logistics Trend Map downloadable report

Unlock insights from the Top 10 Trends that will shape the future of your supply chain and help you go all the way.

The Logistics Trend Map interactive 30 trends

Navigate the dynamic world of logistics with the top 30 trends, to help you go all the way.
Be ready for anything to go all the way
We hope you found this interesting. Download the full report to get access to all insights and analysis on the top 10 trends.