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Old 12-15-2012, 09:27 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,552,407 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Komeht View Post
You're probably better off north - but please come downtown, Austin CBD desperately needs more retail. 190 restaurants but you can't buy a tennis ball to save your life.
And there's not one red cent to be made selling tennis balls(to take your suggestion literally) at retail.

I'd love to be proved wrong; but I think the only way a tennis shop makes it in the area is with super-low overhead and some sort of built-in clientele. Other than a courtside pro shop, I can't think of a place like that in Austin.
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Old 12-15-2012, 11:45 PM
 
3,834 posts, read 5,761,517 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 10scoachrick View Post
And there's not one red cent to be made selling tennis balls(to take your suggestion literally) at retail.

I'd love to be proved wrong; but I think the only way a tennis shop makes it in the area is with super-low overhead and some sort of built-in clientele. Other than a courtside pro shop, I can't think of a place like that in Austin.
I was pointing out that Austin's version of urbanism is a bit monoculture. We have a lot of great places to eat and drink downtown, but try to find a QTip...

We need retail and lots of it, sushi is nice, but we also need the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker (and the Tennis pro shop) to make the urban experience better.
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Old 12-16-2012, 12:16 AM
 
Location: Volcano
12,969 posts, read 28,439,744 times
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People who are already downtown for work will shop downtown. But downtown is not a major shopping destination for many locals. There's too much traffic hassle, and parking is a bear.

If you want the kind of customer traffic that will come to you, locate near a major highway exit and have free parking.
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Old 12-16-2012, 08:03 AM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,128,422 times
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i agree with the other posters who suggested that a dedicated tennis shop wouldnt do well here. I do feel like tennis has bottomed out and might start to experience a resurgence over the next 20 years, but I think a tennis business would be extremely difficult. I think you would have to do a lot of marketing to hit the tennis areas which are spread all over because walk in traffic will probably be dismal
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Old 12-16-2012, 03:52 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,068,148 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CptnRn View Post
FYI Google Trends shows a studily decreasing interest in "tennis" in the state of Texas over the last 12 years. To bad it does not allow one to search by city or zip code, one day that will be possible.

Google Trends

I just discovered that you can in fact search Trends for many major cities in each state.

Interest in Tennis in Austin has showed a pretty study decline. Google Trends
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Old 12-16-2012, 05:47 PM
 
Location: Warrior Country
4,573 posts, read 6,781,972 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sun_dance View Post
Thanks for the insight! The competition would be a few tennis centers/country clubs. My store will be no more than 1000 sq. feet but will have 3-5 times more options than tennis centers. It is just like a specialty tennis shop you would find in CA or FL. Could you picture stay-at-home tennis moms and other possible customers making a trip into downtown Austin during the day or is downtown mostly made up of people who work or live there?
The SAHMs you describe would be along 360 from N 183 south to Mopac (south)....& on 620 from N 183 south to 71. (& the swath of land in between).

BTW, Golfsmith has shut down their tennis dept at the 183 store.

Tennis is very big in areas that feed into (& the kids that attend) WWood, WLake, Vgriff, & LT high schools. (& to a smaller degree, Anderson, CP, & RR). Several academy type places in that area of West Austin. (ATA, Lakeway, Courtyard, Lost Creek & a new one being opened near Steiner)

Tennis players buy balls at Academy & Walmart fwiw. (2 bucks a can) They would never buy raquets or clothes there. (kids stuff mostly bought online)
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Old 12-16-2012, 09:19 PM
 
8,007 posts, read 10,428,452 times
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I have to agree with the others who said that a dedicated tennis shop would probably not do well. There's a reason why the ones who have opened in the past have all shut down.
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Old 12-17-2012, 06:02 PM
 
18 posts, read 29,871 times
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Thank you all for the responses!
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Old 07-08-2013, 09:25 PM
 
18 posts, read 29,871 times
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The tennis shop is now open in Davenport Village @ 360/Westlake drive.
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Old 07-08-2013, 10:09 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,552,407 times
Reputation: 4001
Quote:
Originally Posted by sun_dance View Post
The tennis shop is now open in Davenport Village @ 360/Westlake drive.
Well, cuz, you made it! Seriously convenient for the high school, that's for sure! Actually, our bike ride this Saturday runs up 360 to within a half-mile of the shop(but the chance of my leaving the group and then catching them again would be slim, none and can't happen.). I'll surely drop by for a chat soon! Welcome to the convection oven!!!
CoachRick
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