LOS ANGELES—Big-box distribution centers have been riding such a sustained wave of demand for so long that it's legitimate to begin wondering when that wave might break, or at very least crest. For the time being, though, that eventuality isn't on the horizon, Colliers International says in its latest report on the sector.

“It's been over the past decade that they've really sprung up in core regional markets like Chicago, the Inland Empire, Dallas, Northern and Central New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, etc.,” Dwight Hotchkiss, president, broker services | USA & national director, industrial | USA, tells GlobeSt.com. “They've been doing that to quench the demand both from e-commerce and from the workforce that has been acquiring more goods as the economy has improved.

“And while initially the demand has been in the core markets, as there has been more attention paid to 'first-mile' and 'last mile' and speed of delivery, in the past few years we've been seeing significant growth in secondary markets, especially near large population centers or logistics hubs, like seaports, inland ports and air cargo ports,” he adds. “Occupiers are moving into these markets at an accelerated pace, and it's all about speed to consumer.”