Should you get a High traffic location or Low traffic location?
I was at a training session by OnCoffeeMakers when this question was asked about Retail Location.
When it comes to deciding on a retail location for your business, which will your choose?
| Option A Low Traffic Location $20 per sqft 1,000 sqft | Option B High Traffic Location $30 per sqft 1,000 sqft |
I believe there are many more questions one might ask before they can make a decision. E.g. how much difference in traffic, where’s the location, what’s the consumer profile at each retail location, etc. It’s always a balance between cost and benefits a location can give to you. But let’s just assume that the cheaper place just is a little out of the way, with significantly less traffic and all else the same.
Will You Take Option A For Your Retail Location?
Just on rental alone, it’s a monthly $10k difference. Over a 6 months period, that’s a lot of money for marketing! So the question is will you be able to achieve similar or better sales than the premium retail location by investing the difference on rental in marketing?
With so much competition in the market, the biggest challenge for most businesses these days is how to differentiate and build a loyal base of customers. With the increasing accessibility of urban areas, consumers are now more willing than ever to travel to get something that they want. So location, though still important, plays a much smaller role in a consumer’s decision making process on whether anot to visit a retailer that they like.
Over the years, we have seen many niche brands & cafes appearing in ulu areas and still achieving the crowd major retailers get at premium locations. So what makes these brands successful besides the quality food/service/product that they provide?
Their niche & reputation, impressive social media presence, superb customer relations and awesome publicity.
A great example will be Nylon Coffee Roasters. It’s location is a little out of the way, but it certainly does have a strong following. It takes a lot more work and effort to build a brand and customer base that is truly yours. But in the long run, it is definitely cheaper to sustain loyal customers than constantly competing for foot traffic at your location. Your customers are your biggest asset, treasure them and you shall be rewarded!
Lastly, I would like to thank Ebenezer from OnCoffeeMakers for the awesome training session that inspired this article. We will be researching and writing more articles on Retail Marketing in time to come. Do subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates & marketing ideas for your Retail Outlet!
Feel free to contact me at jay.li@sovou.com to share your thoughts & ideas!
* Disclaimer – Everything expressed in this article is my personal opinion and may not be applicable for all businesses. Please share with us your ideas and thoughts too so we can grow & learn together!