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Hi,
I am trying to find out more about how retail stores in Biltmore Village do compared to downtown stores? Is Biltmore Village busy with tourists and/ or local visitors?
We visited in February it was quiet, but I know that is the low season.
Instead of buying a store we are considering setting one up now.
Thanks
My view is from the perspective of an Ashevillain and our shopping habits (as well as those we know), not a merchant. I tend to think about things for a business perspective, but do not own one here.
Biltmore Village gets its share of tourist traffic, but the general demographic I think is different. I also don't think BV has the saturation of businesses targeted at tourists that downtown does. Nor does it have the “characters” putting on a show for the tourists, both entertainers and otherwise. Both see turnover of businesses.
I don't know of many locals who shop downtown except at Topps for Shoes. That means there is a wild swing in business downtown in tourist season vs. non-tourist season, to the point where restaurants and retailers try hard to draw locals during that time. If you are downtown, you are probably going to make almost all your money from March through October or early November, with some exceptions.
BV has the same cycle but I don't think is is quite as extreme. I think you will find a higher percentage of locals in BV during tourist season than you will downtown. That's not to say the shop there regularly, but they don't avoid the place completely in that time frame.
When we go to BV we are looking for something (usually my wife seeing what clothing stores are having sales). When we go downtown, which is largely during non-tourist season, we are generally browsing and killing an afternoon.
A lot depends on the type of business you are thinking of opening. If you are a destination, BV may be a better fit. If you are going to make sales based on opportunity, then it depends how much of your business will be tourists vs. locals. One other consideration is if your business will depend on tourists, depending on what you do, you may lose a “prime” weekend to Bele Chere. I saw a survey that found 70-percent of downtown merchants either saw no increase in business or a decrease during Bele Chere. Weigh that accordingly.
Thanks Mule,
We were negotiating to buy a downtown store, but they are way overpriced and won't budge, so it's a no go.
However we like the concept of it, have loads of ideas and would like to do something of our own (we had thought to do this before we knew this one was for sale). We would sell different products/brands etc, not currently available locally, but want to make sure they are what locals would want to. It seems so many stores cater to tourists.
Where for example do locals go to buy nice quality (not Walmart type) toys for their kids/grandkids? Or nice 'green' items for home??
So, we thought about BV as an alternative location, not sure. It would sell items useful for locals and tourists, but the repeat business of locals would be something to work towards.
Thanks
This is just my personal opinion, because Mule has given you some very thoughtful advice. But if I wanted a store that offered what you are suggesting, I would put it downtown, because while Biltmore Village is plenty busy in summer, I'm just not sure if the exposure figures would support you doing a new and unique business there. So, I would suggest you try to find out what the traffic is for downtown versus Biltmore Village, the Chamber of Commerce probably has that info, before concentrating on one or the other.
There are some shops in downtown that I go back to with some frequency to buy specific things, plus as Mule pointed out, I like cruising down some streets in downtown as an afternoon "vacation," where it's pleasant just to walk around down there, go into a few stores, that sort of thing. I believe there is a toy store up on Merrimon Avenue just past where Weaver Blvd to UNCA intersects. There is also a baby store out at River Ridge, kind of a gathering of strip malls. People WILL go away from downtown to a specific store if it has what they want. That's how I buy things for the most part, I know which store has what, and I'll go there to buy exactly what i need. Generally i buy many gifts online now, but I used to try one of the two big malls since I had to buy a variety of things, before I ever would go downtown... there's just not as much available in one place as there is at the Malls.
Some "box" stores are anchors to shopping "strip malls," which are an outdoor collection of stores that are anchored by a big store, and this bunch of smaller specialty stores occupy the rest of the strip. There is a clothing shop I go to just past the big biltmore Square mall that has knit ponchos that I go to, specifically for those types of items and some of the other clothes in there. But what's worse is some very busy clothing stores, they were called something like, "$7 or less," and I have no idea why they closed because every single time I went in there, SOMEone else and usually several more people were in there too, and I got my very best clothes right there and still wear them long after they closed, and i'd give anything if they would PLEASE open back up.
And then there ARE the malls, lots and lots of people still enjoy going to the mall, but I suspect the cost for a shop would be astronomical... but they DO have free-standing kiosk type places throughout the mall walking areas, tho, and I always like stopping to see what some of their wares might be, could be you could try a kiosk sort of thing, might be cheaper, and yet you'd get all the traffic you'd ever want in a mall with very little investment, just to see what sells and how well. Also, once you decided where to move to get a real store, you could announce it at your kiosk and also make sure the white and yellow pages of the phone book reflect your new address, and tell all the large stores close by your kiosk where you went.
But in general, I think it would be great fun to have a shop downtown, just for the ambience as you while away the hours, I just love walking around down there, there's always a half-dozen shops I feel I HAVE to visit, to see if I can find certain items they always carry, but as Mule said, mostly I just like to basically window-shop, unless I have a bunh of money I want to spend on art, for example. In that case, I'd go to the Native American shop on Wall Street downtown, maybe I'd browse a few galleries along Biltmore Avenue adjacent to Pack Square downtown, and then in Biltmore Village the gallery at the Nature Store, and New Morning Gallery there, too, and there's a cute place on the corner down in there that has EVERYthing including art, clothes, knick-knacks, sorry cannot recall the name, but I go there a lot to buy all sorts of diff things, kind of a "if all else fails, you can go there" type of place.
I'd get the shoppers traffic numbers from the Chamber (if they have them) for various locations, I'd walk all around both downtown and the Village and find the areas you particularly enjoy walking in, and then go into every store near there and see what they have and how busy the place is that particular day, and consider thinking outside the box and trying a Kiosk in the mall or a small store in a strip mall area. Some of the people in both downtown and Village stores have been there for many, many years and apparently do well enough because they're still there. Occasionally a new place will open and it'll be a big hit, but who knows what path they followed to get there. keep in mind that there are certain percentages of new busineses that go right back out of business within the first year, which you want to avoid.
Thanks for your detailed reply, it is so useful to hear opinions. I agree that downtown would be a nice place to spend my working day. I found Asheville Mall depressing!
It's hard to get used to how spread out shops are, like you say nearer a big anchor store, along a really busy road. Here we don't have so much of that, more downtown areas, purpose built big mall, or just an out of town supermarket but without other shops around it.
I will speak to the Chamber and already have SCORE Counselors, although their advice can be a bit conflicting.
What about some kind of European/British twist to a store?? My husband said fish and chips, but I don't really want to be frying fish all day long!!
Pretty much what mule said. I'd say Biltmore Village. I worked there and the only lull in business I saw was in september; kids in school and nothing worth taking them out of going on and then again in late January-early march. There are always tour buses that drop folks off in biltmore village too, but I don't think that happens as often in downtown because its not really doable. (could be wrong, but I never saw it...)
Biltmore draws a huge crowd from November -January with their Christmas stuff so it was never really dead there in the winter like downtown.
Furthermore, as a local, I frequented biltmore village but steered clear of downtown except in the winter because it was much easier to find a parking spot in biltmore village and it wasn't a circus like downtown can be in the fall.
I think Biltmore Village does get fairly steady tourist traffic, because people visit the Biltmore Estate year-round and it is convenient. There is a huge difference in character between the downtown and Biltmore Village - BV has lots of high-end chains, whereas downtown is mostly independent places and there is a strong "buy local" movement. BV does have a few wonderful local stores - including a great toy store - but overall I avoid it because I can find most of those stores elsewhere and it all seems rather artificial and pretentious to me. Also, be aware that West Asheville is much less likely to get tourist traffic than the main part of downtown. It has its own downtown on Haywood Rd., but is not as much of a tourist destination.
We do have at least 3 popular independent toy stores in the area (Toy Box on Merrimon, Dancing Bear on Tunnel, and the one in BV whose name I can't remember). There are also several stores that sell "green" items for the home, but this area is very big on that concept so you might do well, depending on what types of items you sell.
There is also a toy store that opened up recently in Biltmore Park. I have not been, but it is certainly not designed to compete with Wal-Mart! Seems to always have a crowd.
Commercial rents are killers. I'm not sure what the vacancy rate is, but I'd bet somewhere in the upper 20's to 35 percent. Yet the rents do not reflect this.
Asheville Mall is a depressing place for the most part.
I'd probably be somewhat of a regular at a good fish and chips place. Or a chili parlor in fall and winter. Unfortunately, you can't make a living just on me hanging around!
Interesting! We will be moving there by December so want to spend as much time as poss now researching! The 'Eco' niche is of interest to us. There are a lot of new products being invented that may be of use to people. Years ago a local person where I lived invented the 'wind up' radio, it has sold well. I would like to bring in new 'eco' inventions as well as organic ranges etc. Not just gifts but items that can be of daily use. We seriously considered purchasing an 'organic' store downtown, but overpriced, however it is doing okay. We would aim to supply a more interesting and useful range. Also some nice 'green' British products that I have used and liked for myself and children.
Perhaps it will bring a new angle to the stores at Biltmore Village?? Bit of downtown to Biltmore?!!
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