Why footfall matters: choosing a high-traffic retail location

In retail, location really is everything. A slightly higher rent on a busy street often beats a bargain unit on a quiet one, because the passing crowd is your cheapest source of new customers.

How to measure footfall yourself

• Count passers-by, stand near the unit at peak and off-peak times and count how many people pass in ten minutes.
• Watch the direction of flow, make sure your entrance faces the way people are actually walking.
• Note the anchors, supermarkets, banks, stages and busy stops pull steady crowds past nearby units.
• Check the mix, are the people passing your likely customers, or just commuters hurrying through?

Balancing traffic and rent

High-footfall retail carries a premium, but for the right business it is money well spent. Qubicle’s neighbourhood guides highlight the busiest retail corridors across Greater Kampala, from the CBD to Natete, Kireka and Nansana, so you can put your shop where the customers already are.