Hello Plainfield GIS
It's a very cool problem with which you're faced.
I've tried a few times to type a reply to your query above but the reply tends to sprawl the more I think about the problem.
I would take the following steps:
- If you have the performance data and location of each store you could correlate whether there are any locational factors positively or negatively affecting store performance.
- Once you know the locational factors, you can then isolate each and use a suitability analysis workflow to identify the most suitable location for locating stores in the immediate future.
- This allows to identify available retail spaces in the suitable areas, you can then narrow down your choice of retail space through analyzing how accessible each retail space is to people walk (children), cycling (children, college students), driving (college students, working adults). If one space is highly accessible you could always advise that this location be a hub servicing a larger area through deliveries.
- You'll have to consider demographic and economic projections to project where stores should be located in the long-term.
Hopefully this helps, if not and I'm totally missing the mark I apologize. However, if it did help and you'd like to discuss the problem in more detail feel free to send me a direct message.
Will van Heerden
