The previous sections of leasing retail space addressed selecting the general location, selecting the type of retail space and the sighting how to find your retail space. The next several parts will address issues to consider when evaluating a specific retail space option.

Issues for each option include traffic counts, traffic patterns, and ingress and egress. As you evaluate location specific issues, contrast the features of the space being evaluated with the most successful competitor or locations. In other words, how does the traffic count for a specific site compare to the traffic count for the successful locations for your competitors?

Traffic count is simply the amount of traffic on a roadway. In many cases, you can get information on traffic count from the city, county or highway department. The retail space owner will also have traffic counts in some cases. It the traffic count was done by the landlord, ask for details on how and when it was done. For example, if you expect most of your traffic on a weekend, and the traffic count was performed on a weekday, the traffic count may not be meaningful.

Traffic patterns consider when a prospective customer is most likely to stop at your establishment. If you're planning a coffee shop, you would want to be on the "going to work side" of the street. If you're planning a store with fast food or prepared food for dinner time, you would probably want to be on the "going home side" of the street.

Ingress and egress are simply how simple or difficult it is to enter and leave the shopping center. If the shopping center is on a corner, can you leave on either street? Is it possible to access the shopping center from the far side of the road on either or both streets? Are their traffic backups during portions of the day which make ingress and egress difficult?