Reading a high street before you sign

Agent packs flatten a high street into floor area and passing rent. Your first visit should put the texture back.

Arrive before the advertised peak for your category. Watch where people actually pause, which doorways collect bags, and whether the unit’s neighbours are banners that draw traffic or independents that close early. Note empty units within fifty metres — three dark frontages in a row often say more about evening trade than a single vacancy next door.

Speak to two traders who are not competing directly with you. Ask what day feels softest and whether the council has changed loading or parking in the last year. Their answers rarely appear in the brochure, yet they shape whether your staffing model will hold.

Finally, walk the route from the nearest car park and bus stop with a shopping bag in hand. If that journey feels awkward to you, it will feel awkward to the customers you hope to win from a rival two streets away.