Location, location, location. It is an effective summary of the top priorities when launching a consumer business. A big factor in the success or failure for many commercial ventures is how convenient its location is for the customer. This becomes critical in the case of restaurants, shopping centers or sporting and cultural venues. Is the trade area of the right type and size to support the business?

Understanding the geography and demographic make-up of an effective trade area is used as the basis for site selection. Once established, this knowledge also enables a business to know where to direct their marketing, giving them the biggest bang for their buck.

Alexander Babbage has helped many clients to analyze their trade area and to understand their geography. You can read a selection of their stories here:

Moe’s Southwest Grill
In just a few years Moe’s had become one of the fastest growing restaurant franchises in the country. Such rapid expansion needed an efficient and effective system for selecting new locations. Read their story here…

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO)
Building a new, multi-million dollar venue is no small undertaking. Ensuring that the new location will attract a sufficient new audience and not simply cannibalise that of the older venue is a concern that cannot be ignored. Read their story here…

Forest City Commercial Management
With a broad and very diverse portfolio of shopping centers, the issue was finding efficiencies in marketing and management. The answer was understanding the customer base and grouping centers according to trade area demographics. Read their story here…