Scoping out a Location

I know... I've barely started to get the business going online and I am already itching to find a physical location. Call it what you will, but I figured that the sooner I find an ideal location, the better. Plus, if I start looking around Austin now... I am more likely to find a better location with a better deal, than if I were to rush into it.

Part of the reason why I did not want to open a boutique to start (vs. online) is because of the economy. The other was capital requirements - it takes a lot more money to open a boutique brick and mortar store than it does online. Now that the economy is looking up (sort of), I am wondering if it would be a good idea to open a physical store. It would be a lot of planning, but at least the business would feel more substantial. For some reason, having an online store makes me feel like the business is a half-effort attempt at a business.

It's probably just me.

My fiance and I went downtown to Whole Foods this-morning. It's the first time we had been to the flagship store - we have been going to the Whole Foods at the Arboretum for a year now - which we stopped near by, at the Panera for breakfast. There is a nice space for rent right next to Panera, for lease by Simon Malls... but it seemed a little big for a starter. Who knows? I could probably fill it out with product and a comfortable atmosphere. Question is, what are they asking for it.

That's what got me started. So on our way downtown, I caught myself making mental notes about the neighborhoods, what kind of stores were around (small vs. chain), and if there were any eco-friendly businesses in the area. I could not help myself, I am really gunning for Green Cheeks to succeed, especially with all the positive feedback that I've been getting.

After we did our shopping - go figure, we went to Whole Foods to get good food, only to ended up buying some German beer, Texas wine and a bunch of chocolate... oh and some ribs for diner, lol - but we decided to take N. Lamar back up towards home. Again, I started watching how the neighborhoods change and wrote down a couple of stores to go into.

I figured out a while ago that business owners in Texas are pretty open about things, so I've made it a habit to chat with some of them and trying to learn a thing or two without wasting their time. Sometimes it works out well and the person is so happy to talk about themselves and their business. They're obviously proud and I end up leaving with a small novel of knowledge.

We actually ended up stopping at the (relatively) new shopping and multi-use development, the Triangle. My fiance thought he saw a lingerie shop as we drove by, so we really were scoping out the "competition." Sometimes I wonder how he gets so excited about my business and then I cannot blame him too much, since I know he wants to see me succeed too.

As it turns out, Sola, the shop that he saw was not a lingerie shop at all. It had a bikini in the window - which he swears looked more like lingerie a moment ago - but it was a cute girly shop, with all kinds of clothes, shoes and jewelry. I particularly liked the chandelier - if you ever visit Sola, look up when you walk in. It's pretty.

After I looked around, I decided to ask the owner about how long she had been there and how she liked the Triangle. She has been there since last September (which is good) and she said that the leasing company has a great guy in charge that I should talk to. But she also mentioned that people are finally getting used to the development, the need to use the parking garage (limited parking within the Triangle), and are warming up to it. That's all positive news... but I noted a few things, like 1) there was not a lot of foot traffic, which a place like that relies on since it's developed to promote leaving the car behind, and 2) there was still a lot of empty retail spaces, despite the property being complete since last year.

The economy has obviously taken a toll on Austin. Anywhere you go, you see vacant space. Since I have only been here a year, all I can think of is that they overbuilt, more in some areas than others. But it's not nearly as bad as some other places in the US... like Detroit, California or New York City.

Property managers/owners are hurting and they are offering some pretty nice deals (which she also mentioned). The Triangle is a nice location, not too far from downtown. But I am not sure that that's where my customer base is - I would think more downtown, like South Congress... around all the little eclectic, unique and thrifty stores. Then again, I also need to be in an area that women like to spend time, like a shopping area that you walk around, such as the Triangle.

There are a lot of options in this little city. So I am going to continue my search - any suggestions?