How do I determine the estimated population needed to support an apparel business venture in the Austin or San Antonio area?
By Brad Sugars •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The question applies to the folowing types of stores: apparel and accessories, womens' specialty, women's ready-to-wear, and men's and boy's clothing.The best place to start with your research is a retail trade or industry association. You may need to contact several for your lines, but they are a wealth of information you'll need to make better decisions for your venture.
More important than population figures, however, is the amount of foot traffic you’ll have for your retail location--because in retail, rental is a big part of your marketing budget. Why? Because it will be too expensive for you to advertise to become a "destination" retailer. Only the largest big-box retailers have that type of budget, so to build your customer base, you’ll need a prime location with a lot of foot traffic.
Eventually, people may drive more than a few miles to shop at your store. Starting out, however, you'll need to focus on location.
All the best.
Brad Sugars
