Does it makes sense for a retail outlet to put in a location near a new housing tract? Well, depending on the size of the housing tract and the traffic on the main road the answer could be; definitely. If you consider that a retail outlet draws its customers from a 10-15 mile radius, then the retail business near the new housing tract has just cut off all the competition, as it is now so close and convenient too.

What types of business could significantly generate traffic in this way to help their businesses? Well the obvious of course; Pizza, Chinese Food, Mexican Food, Italian Food and hair salons, liquor stores, video rentals, coffee shops, gas stations, oil change, car wash, etc., it therefore seems to make sense to be close to large new housing tracts.

You see you have a somewhat captured audience really and that means more exclusive sales too. Also with a captured audience and customer base so close, you may need to do little if any advertising as the demand already exists and you are now Johnny on the Spot. Additionally everyone in the housing tract has to drive bye every day to go to work, school or play.

Many marketing consultants may not see why it is so utterly obvious to do this, but that is because they probably know very little about ESRI Software; ArcView and ArcData and the true and correct use of Demographics, mapping, data layers and radiuses of customer buying behaviors, as all this is pre-known. This is why it makes sense for businesses, especially those common retail businesses to be next to large new real estate housing developments. Consider this in 2006.