THE rise of China's e-commerce will hasten the decline of the shopping mall, but opportunities exist for partnerships between logistics property developers and large e-commerce firms, according to a US-based real estate investment company Jones Lang LaSalle.

China Daily also reported that China's e-commerce boom business will no doubt have a positive effect on logistics properties. As China's largest logistics developer, Global Logistics Properties, revealed in its annual report that among its total warehouse capacity the space available for lease by e-commerce has increased from 14 per cent in 2011 to 20 per cent to 2012.

Stuart Ross, director of China department at Jones Lang LaSalle said that the thriving and changing e-commerce will bring with it massive development opportunities. He said that the most significant change is the rise of business-to-customer (B2C) websites.

The customer-to-customer (C2C) mode which used to dominate China's e-commerce market does not bring about much demand for warehousing, said Mr Ross. So far, the biggest contributors of warehousing demand are B2C websites like Amazon.

Certain large B2C websites have begun to establish their own logistics networks, building and managing warehousing facilities independently. Real estate developers will have the opportunity to use their expertise to cooperate with digital businesses, with high-tech businesses not only supplying quality tenants to developers, but also helping developers in obtaining necessary land from government authorities.

"The e-commerce market's structural reorientation towards B2C platforms makes the logistics sector the most attractive real estate opportunity in China," said Michael Klibaner, author of the report and head of research of Greater China at JLL.

Mr Klibaner said China's rise as a giant among global e-commerce markets will transform the way goods there are shopped for, purchased, stored and delivered. Developers, brands and operators will need to stay ahead of the trends in e-commerce in order to remain competitive in the future.