Visibility of the retail center and your space can be critical or secondary factors. IF the business you're planning provides a product or service related to an impulse purchase at a modest price point, visibility of both the shopping center and your retail space are critical. However, visibility is much less important for retail space for a destination retail business. When you become seriously interested a space, drive each street in both directions several times to gain objective insights into the visibility of the center and your space.

Next consider the layout of the space and its location within the center. If the layout is rectangular, are the width and depth reasonable for your business. If you are considering the L-shaped retail space in the corner of a retail shopping center, is the layout workable? However, even more important, is the L-shaped space consistent with the nature of your business? The L-shaped space in a shopping center is often much less expensive in the balance of the space. In many cases, it also has second-floor space. The space in the elbow of a shopping center can be a good choice for destination retail but is a horrible idea for most retail related to impulse purchases. For retail related to impulse purchases, seek out the most prime locations. These include end-caps and freestanding retail.

Consider the signage restrictions for the retail space. You may need to consider restrictions imposed by the landlord, local government and subdivision deed restrictions. Obtain a written copy of all signage restrictions soon after becoming seriously interested in a retail space. Obtain candid insights from your tenet rep broker regarding signage for the center. You may also want to visit with other tenants in the center regarding their experience with the signage approval process.

Negotiating a lease can be an expensive process. Legal bills can quickly exceed $10,000 for complex retail leases. Make sure you are comfortable regarding obtaining approval for relevant signage prior to incurring substantial legal fees. For some franchises, signage requirements are inflexible.