What Really Makes a Retail Location Work? Alex Deitch's Proven 5-Pillar Approach
- Alex Deitch
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
By Alex Deitch
In over 20 years of helping retailers expand across the U.S., I’ve learned one thing above all: location isn’t just important—it’s everything. The right retail site can fuel incredible growth. The wrong one can drag down even the most well-executed brand concept.
Sure, we all know the phrase “location, location, location”—but what does that really mean in practice? How do you know a site will actually work?
Whether I’m scouting space for a fast-casual restaurant or helping a major brand enter a new market, I rely on a 5-pillar framework to evaluate every potential retail location. Here’s how it works.
1. Demographics: Know Who You’re Serving
It all starts with understanding who your customer is—and where they live, work, and shop. This means looking beyond the map and diving into the data:
How dense is the population?
Do household incomes align with your price point?
Are you in a family-heavy suburb, a student-driven college town, or a fast-paced urban center?
For example, a children’s enrichment brand should be near schools and parks, while a luxury concept will need higher-income households within a short drive.
I use GIS mapping tools to literally visualize where those ideal customers live. If the area doesn’t match the brand’s audience profile, we don’t move forward.
2. Trade Area & Foot Traffic: Don’t Just Count People—Understand Their Patterns
Once I’ve confirmed the who, I focus on the how. How do people move through the area? When are they most active?
This is where tools like Placer.ai are invaluable. I can see actual foot traffic data at specific intersections or shopping centers. I’m not guessing—I’m measuring real activity.
And timing matters. For a lunch-focused QSR brand, I want to see strong weekday traffic from 11 to 2. For a fitness studio, early morning and evening visits are more important.
Understanding the trade area (the zone customers are likely to come from) also helps us avoid overlap with existing stores—or accidentally cannibalizing another nearby location.
3. Co-Tenants & Anchor Tenants: Who Are Your Neighbors?
No store lives in a vacuum. The businesses around you can either help or hurt your performance.
A busy grocery anchor, for example, brings daily traffic that benefits everyone nearby. And having complementary businesses—like a healthy restaurant next to a gym, or a boutique near a salon—can create real synergy.
When the right mix is present, customers can knock out multiple errands in one trip. That’s convenience—and it drives repeat traffic.
Of course, I also check for direct competitors. Sometimes clustering works (think restaurant rows), but often it’s better to give your concept a little space to shine.
4. Accessibility & Visibility: Is It Easy to Get To—and Hard to Miss?
You’d be surprised how many sites look great on paper but fail in practice because customers can’t easily find them—or can’t safely pull in.
Here’s what I look for:
Is the site clearly visible from the road?
Are there safe, intuitive entrances and exits?
Can drivers make a left turn into the lot without risking their life?
Is there enough parking—or drive-thru queue space?
I always do a real-world drive test. I visit the site at different times of day and ask myself: Would I stop here if I were a customer? If the answer is “eh, maybe”—that’s a problem.
5. Future Growth Potential: Is This Site Just Good Today—or Great Tomorrow Too?
I’m not just picking a site for Day One—I’m thinking five to ten years out.
Is the area growing or declining?
Are new apartment complexes, office parks, or schools being built?
Are any infrastructure projects (like road expansions or highway exits) on the way?
Sometimes, the best long-term sites are in emerging neighborhoods—places with solid demographics today and big upside on the horizon.
I study city planning docs, meet with developers, and analyze regional growth trends. This kind of forward thinking helps my clients avoid costly surprises and sets them up for success long after the grand opening.
The Tools I Use—and Why In-Person Still Matters
I’m a fan of data—but I’m also a big believer in boots-on-the-ground validation. Here are a few tools I rely on:
But I never skip the site visit. You just can’t fully understand a location until you stand there, watch the cars go by, and see how it actually feels. Sometimes, the in-person visit confirms the data. Other times, it changes everything.
Example: Let’s Say It’s a New Chick-fil-A Location
Here’s how I’d approach it:
First, identify family-friendly neighborhoods with good income levels.
Then, analyze daytime traffic around those zones.
Scout pad sites or end-caps with room for a drive-thru.
Visit each site in person to evaluate ingress/egress, signage, and operations.
Check for future growth—like new housing or road improvements nearby.
When all five pillars align, I can confidently say: This is the one.
Why It Works
Retailers trust me because I don’t just hand over a list of sites. I act like a true partner—from strategy to selection to build-out.
What sets my process apart?
I sweat the small stuff.
I never recommend a site I wouldn’t choose myself.
I stay proactive and communicate every step of the way.
And most importantly—I help clients grow where it counts.
Final Thought
Whether you're a national brand or scaling up for the first time, great retail real estate is never found by luck. It's found by asking better questions, using smarter tools, and taking the time to do it right.
If you want to talk site strategy, I’m always happy to connect. Finding the right location is what I love to do—and it’s where great retail begins.
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Alex Deitch is Managing Partner at Falcon Realty Partners in Atlanta, GA, with over 20 years of commercial real estate experience. He has led the development of hundreds of properties nationwide while overseeing Falcon’s operations, growth, and acquisition strategy.
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