Every few years my wife and I return to Seattle, where we got married. One of my favorite places to spend a few hours is the Pike Place Market. On our most recent trip, I was reminded of a lesson in the importance of location. Parking off Alaska Way and taking the elevator to the top level of the market, you can’t avoid the smell of fresh fish or the sight of men in rubber boots and sea pants with orange and black suspenders yelling “King for Josh” and throwing around big fish. Tourists eat up the spectacle and can be seen snapping pictures.
The top level of the public market is clearly the most popular for tourist and locals alike. As you attempt to navigate your way north down the single-aisle filled with homeopathic remedies, fresh flowers, and vegetables, you can’t help but bump into and push past others to make any headway. Reaching the end of the aisle you have no other option but to turn around and push back through the crowd.
Across the cobblestone street are a bunch of specialty shops. However, while everyone jams and bumps their way along the west side of the street, hardly anybody walks on the east side. Instead, they opt to return down the same crowded single aisle. Even though the only geographical difference is an odd or even address number, traffic patterns do not support businesses on the east side of the street.
Brick and mortar businesses need to observe human traffic patterns to make informed location decisions. As the Seattle example demonstrates, one cannot infer the potential success of a location by its address alone.
Do you observe traffic patterns before settling on the final location of your business?
