Start with the catchment
Define who the store is intended to serve and why those people would visit. Commuters, students, tourists, gym users, office workers and local residents behave differently.
A catchment analysis should therefore describe the customer and occasion before it describes the property.
- Who is nearby?
- Why would they visit?
- At what times?
- How often could they return?
Understand footfall quality
Raw footfall can be misleading. A large number of people moving quickly through a transport node may be less valuable than a smaller audience already in a leisure or food-buying mindset.
Observe the site at different times and days. Look at direction of travel, dwell time, visibility and whether the proposed entrance naturally intercepts customer movement.
Stress-test the property economics
Rent, service charges, business rates, fit-out requirements and lease obligations need to work against realistic sales assumptions. A site can be busy and still be commercially weak if occupancy costs are too high.
Model downside as well as target performance before committing to the property.
- Rent and service charge
- Fit-out requirement
- Lease term and break options
- Utilities and extraction where relevant
- Deposit and guarantees
Check operational practicality
The team needs to receive stock, store ingredients, prepare orders, serve customers, clean and handle waste efficiently. Delivery access and rider collection also matter when delivery is part of the model.
A difficult layout can create permanent labour and service problems, so operational review should happen before design approval and lease commitment.
Use the franchise system
A good franchise process should provide site criteria and review proposed locations against the brand's operating model. Franchisees should use that expertise rather than treating property selection as a separate local decision.
For Jungle Berry applicants, territory and site conversations should happen together before a property commitment is made.