Finding the right space is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when opening a business. The location you choose can impact everything, from your customer traffic to your daily operations and long-term success.

Here are a few key things to consider as you look for the perfect spot: 

1. Choose a Location Where Your Customers Are 

Choose a location that fits into your customer’s daily routines. Think about where they live, work, shop, and travel. Being in a neighbourhood where your target audience already spends time makes it easier for them to discover and return to your business. It’s important to take note of the demographics your targeting, looking at the average age, ethnicity, household structure, and income of an area will help determine where your business will be most successful.

2. Choose a Location With Built-In Foot Traffic  

Selecting a location near essential services – like grocery stores, banks, or pharmacies – can significantly boost your business’s visibility. These high-traffic anchors naturally draw consistent footfall, especially in densely populated areas. In Canada, for example, the average person visits a grocery store 7.20 times per month. By positioning your business nearby, you can tap into this steady stream of visitors without having to generate all the traffic yourself. This built-in exposure can be a key driver of long-term success. 

3. Choose an Accessible & Convenient Location

Convenience matters to potential customers. Look for a space that’s easy to access by car, transit, or on foot. Consider things like available parking, nearby bus stops, and pedestrian-friendly streets. The easier it is to visit you, the more likely customers will come back. High-populated areas will have the means for people to access your business. A location with strong visibility, signage, and frontage attracts shoppers naturally. 

4. Choose a Connected Community

Choosing a location in a mixed-use neighbourhood where shops, services, and residences coexist, can help your business thrive. These areas foster a sense of community and naturally generate shared foot traffic. When people visit for one purpose, they often explore other nearby offerings. Positioning your business among complementary services can turn the area into a convenient one-stop destination, increasing the chances of attracting and retaining customers. 

Need help finding the right space?

At First Capital, we do more than just provide space – we help build your success. 
As owners, operators, and developers of grocery-anchored, open-air centres in Canada’s most desirable neighbourhoods, we offer more than prime locations – we offer partnership.

Our in-house leasing experts work closely with you to identify the perfect space within our portfolio that aligns with your business goals. But it doesn’t stop there!

From construction and build-out to day-to-day operations, our integrated teams are with you every step of the way. Whether it’s working with your team to ensure your space is properly built out and ready to open, or maintaining our properties to the highest standards, we’re committed to supporting your success long-after your doors open. 

Let’s talk about where your business can thrive – sign up for our Leasing Newsletter here!