Shopping Center or Freestanding Tire Shop Location?
Location is everything. Compare freestanding shops and shopping center locations.
Right now you’re probably asking “What’s the difference anyway?” Well, as little as this location choice may seem to matter on the surface, the decision has wide-spread implications for your tire shop. You’ll want to consider advertising, store design, and whether you’re going for a short or long-term lease.
If you’re looking to just get your tire shop off the ground, you’re probably looking at the short-term. How are you going to get customers? How will you run your shop? Right now you’re looking at the bare bones of your business plan. In that case, a shopping center might be right for you. This choice is a bit more restrictive, but leasing a space in a shopping center is a good way to get area traffic into your shop and start establishing a name for yourself.
The convenience factor.
A customer can drop their car off at your shop and run errands in other parts of the shopping center. It’s way more convenient for the customer, and you won’t have people twiddling their thumbs in the lobby and wondering what’s taking so long.
In the area.
Because it’s attached to other business locations, more people are exposed to your shop. Even if they don’t spontaneously drop their car off to get a tire rotation done, it gives them a chance to remember your name when they need service.
The downside.
What you’re giving up in this situation is a little bit of control. It’s complicated to buy a space in a shopping center without involving HOAs and other nightmares. Instead you’re probably going to be leasing. This means that your landlord has some say in how you set up your space and run your shop. Here's an example of what a shopping center lease might look like.
At the very least, your lease will have clauses about advertising in the windows and setting up anything in front of your space. There might also be restrictions on parking and visual design. You’re going to have to fit the look of your shop into the aesthetic of the shopping center.
Free to run the shop.
Leasing comes with benefits too though. Most of the time you don’t have to deal with the utilities or maintaining the amenities of the shopping center, like bathrooms or the parking lot. This leaves you time to focus on running your shop and building your customer base.
If you already have name recognition and a solid customer base, it might be time to break away from the crowd and set up your own freestanding space.
Custom-made.
A freestanding shop can be leased or owned and typically allows you more control over the logistics of your shop. You get to decide the parking, the layout of the shop, and how you want to attract customers to turn off the road. If you’re looking to differentiate your shop, to improve on the tried-and-true, this is probably the way to go. With a freestanding location, you’ll have more control over the look of your space.
Power comes with responsibility.
More control is nice, but you’ll probably have to be more involved in handling the utilities to your shop and you won’t have as many customers from street traffic as an attached shop gets. That’s why a freestanding location is probably best suited to a more established shop, with repeat customers and an experienced owner. If you can get a rhythm going, that independence can get your shop into higher gear.
Looking long-term.
Obviously if you’re putting time and money into customizing your shop, you don’t want to move locations anytime soon. That’s also why a freestanding shop is more suited to the long-term. If the math checks out, it might make sense for you to buy the space your shop occupies instead of leasing. This is typically much easier to do with a freestanding space.
Wherever you are with your business, starting out new or looking to ramp up, it’s important to think about your own shop’s specific needs. If you’re catering to a specific market, look for ways to catch their eye or be somewhere they can easily find you. If the culture and look of your shop is important to you, find a space that will let you make that a reality. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
If you’re looking for more information about what’s right for your shop, subscribe to our newsletter or reach out to let us know what you’re interested in knowing.