(Read more on the industrial market.)

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND-On-line apparel retailer ASOS has signed a full-building industrial lease here in the Midlands region totaling 158,000 sf. The recently completed distribution center in suburban Hemel Hempstead is owned by ProLogis, the Denver-based REIT.

"We're pleased to be working with ASOS.com, one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK, and we look forward to serving as their distribution facilities provider," says Alan Curtis, the UK managing director for ProLogis, in announcing the agreement. ASOS will be consolidating several operations into the new property. The firm offers an extensive range of men's and women's clothing, accessories and beauty products.

Given the tenant's goal to service all of the UK market from its new location, ASOS officials were enthused by accessibility elements of the new ProLogis complex, Curtis says. The building is situated adjacent to the M1 Motorway, the UK's primary north-south corridor that connects to several other thoroughfares. An efficient design and flexible layout of the Hemel Hempstead property were considered other selling points for the tenants, adds Curtis, while the building also offers the latest in fire, safety and climate control systems.