If you’re interested in owning a bakery, one of the greatest challenges is selecting, the right location. After all, a strategically chosen location can bring you regular foot traffic, drive sales, and make your business a local favourite.
However, to find the right spot you should consider some key factors. So, let’s check out all of them and learn to make a wise decision!
1. Foot traffic
Foot traffic is one of the greatest factors for a bakery’s location. Go for a locality with higher foot traffic, i.e., near shopping districts, office areas, or educational institutions.
You can also choose areas where pedestrians crowd naturally, such as near public transport stops, entertainment zones, or retail stores.
If you want to grab the attention of morning traffic more, go near schools, offices, and residential areas.
This ensures that many people will come across the bakery and visit it for quick bites and on-the-go meals.
2. Cost
The shop cost will vary depending on the location. Ensure that the costs don’t burn a hole in your pocket. Calculate utility, maintenance, and tax bills while making a choice!
However, it’s not easy to judge prices without knowing your options. So, if you wish to buy over a pre-existing business, look up the best bakery for sale in Australia from a reputed online listing website.
There, you’ll get an idea of all the options along with respective locations, their asking prices, store specialisation, and other significant details. You can compare several shops online before making up your mind.
3. Accessibility
The bakery must also be easy to access for all kinds of people, whether they come by foot, private commute, or public transport.
So, ensure the establishment has plenty of convenient parking places. This is especially important for suburban areas. With no parking space, you’ll lose potential customers who use personal commutes.
The locality must also be close to public transport stops, such as bus stops, and subway stations. Otherwise, you’ll lose a massive audience who travel using public transportation.
Further, the store must also be accessible to people on wheelchairs and crutches.
4. Demographics
Different demographics have different tastes. So, before choosing a specific locality, conduct market research to understand potential customers’ demographic profiles, tastes, and spending power.
For instance, if the locality is a high-income zone, they’re more interested in premium-quality, artisanal goods. They’ll have greater spending power and expect variety, quality, and high-grade hygiene.
Consequently, if it’s a middle or low-income zone, most likely they’ll seek affordable baked goods.
If the demographics mostly include younger clients, they’ll be interested in fancy desserts. If it’s older people, they’ll prefer traditional and healthy baked goodies.
Choose a locality that you can confidently serve and satisfy without any struggle!
5. Visibility
Customers will visit your bakery only if it is visible to them. If you cannot grab their attention visually, it’s equivalent to no sales.
Make sure the location is visible to all potential customers on the street. For instance, the store must be on the ground floor and face the street. People don’t easily notice upper-floor shops or those facing sideways.
There must also be enough space to put up clear & conspicuous signage to attract customers and boost foot traffic.
6. Competition
Although the best location for bakery shops is a bustling area, you should be aware of the local competition. If the area is saturated with bakeries, dessert shops, and café’s, you’ll struggle to attract customers.
So, visit the locality and scope out the number of functional bakeries. If most of them offer the same baked goods as you, seek a different location.
7. Distance from suppliers
An average Australian consumes 75.2 kg of bakery goods annually. To meet such high demands for fresh goods, proximity to suppliers is essential.
It lowers the time and resources required to transport raw materials from suppliers to your store. If your inventory suddenly becomes empty during peak seasons, you can always get ingredients quickly.
So, if you want to access fresh ingredients from farms and local markets, the location must be close to them.
Further, you must ensure that suppliers are reliable, offer favourable delivery schedules, and are cost-effective. The location must also be well-connected to the suppliers to reduce delays.
Conclusion
The right location for your bakery can be a cornerstone behind your business success. With these factors in mind and lots of consideration, identify the best location for you and set the foundation for a thriving enterprise.
