One of the biggest questions people have when they want to start a fireworks business is ‘Where should I sell fireworks?’ or ‘How do I find a location to sell fireworks?’. This step may be easier than you think! Follow our guide below to help you choose and secure a location to sell fireworks.
Location is a very import consideration when determining where to sell fireworks – especially for seasonal retailers. If you don’t have any land or your land is remote – don’t worry. Most fireworks retailers don’t own the land where they sell. For seasonal sales it is usually better to rent a spot than to purchase land with the sole purpose of selling fireworks.
So how do you determine the best location? There are four very important attributes to take into consideration when choosing where to set your retail location:
1) Traffic
2) Visibility
3) Ease of access
4) Cost
Traffic is something that you may be able to estimate if you are familiar with an area. You probably know which intersections in your town are the most difficult during rush hour, or where popular attractions pull a lot of cars. These are good places to start. Another option is to find a traffic count for roads in your area.
A traffic count is the average number of cars that pass a point in a 24-hour period. Most states record this information for planning and maitenance. For example the links below show maps of Texas and Missouri. For Texas, just zoom in on an area of interest to find out how many cars pass a spot each day. For Missouri, choose the region your are interested in and zoom in on the corresponding map.
For other states, just Google “traffic count (state)” and you should find the right information on the first page. Other places to look are ArcGIS and Kalibrate.
Visibility should be your next consideration. Now that you have an area picked out take a look on Google Earth, or better yet, drive around to get a feel of traffic flow. This exercise will allow you to SEE what sticks out and were people will be able to see a tent or stand. Locations at an intersection typically have the most visibilty. However this can hinder ease of access.
Ease of access is simply how easy it is for customers to get to your location. A location may have great visibility, but if cars have to drive a mile past and come back, it will reduce the number of potential customers willing to make the trip. It may also mean that cars who see you first end up driving past to a competitor’s location.
Parking is rolled into ease of access. If you can only park 10 cars, then you are unlikely to ever have more than 10 customers at a time. If there is a large field or shared parking lot for your customers, it will entice them to pull in.
Cost can be a make or break decision for a location. If you have sold fireworks before, you may have a good idea of what a location costs. For new retailers, this is a big question. ‘How much should I pay for a location?’ is a very frequent question and one that is not easily answered. Here are a few things to consider:
– $500 – $1,000 is a good starting place. This is what many of our customers pay for the busiest intersection in a very small town.
– $5,000 – $10,000 is not uncommon for high-traffic areas with a history of solid fireworks sales.
– Liability is the largest concern for the owner. Ask your sales rep how we can extend insurance coverage to you and the land owner.