My shop's foot traffic doubled after I finally fixed the sidewalk

For like two years, the concrete in front of my place on Grand River was cracked and uneven, and I'd get maybe 10 people a day coming in. Last month, I bit the bullet and paid $2,800 to get it all leveled and repoured. In the three weeks since, my daily walk-ins are up to 20-25, no joke. I think people just didn't want to trip, or it made the whole storefront look neglected. It's wild how something so basic can scare off that much business. Has anyone else seen a big return from fixing up the outside of their building?

4 comments

4 Comments

michaeltorres22d ago

Come on, you really think it was the sidewalk? That timing is just a coincidence. Maybe the weather got nicer and more people are out walking. Or a store nearby closed and sent you their customers. You spent all that money on concrete when you could have put it into ads or new signs. People don't avoid a store just because of a crack. They probably didn't even notice it.

mary_west19d ago

Seriously, two thousand eight hundred dollars? That's a chunk of change for sure. But if it doubled your customers, it sounds like it paid for itself fast. I've seen sidewalks so bad you need hiking boots. People with strollers or bad knees just cross the street. It's not just a crack, it's a whole vibe that says "stay away.

wilson.joseph22d ago

Wait, you seriously think people don't notice a busted sidewalk? That's crazy. I watched an older lady with a walker literally turn around at my old place because the pavement was a mess. She looked at it, shook her head, and went the other way. It's not about noticing a single crack, it's about the whole place looking like nobody cares. If you can't be bothered to fix a tripping hazard, what else did you let go? It screams "this business is failing" before anyone even walks in the door.

kimmurphy22d ago

Honestly, I was totally with Michael before. I used to think customers wouldn't care about stuff like that either. But @wilson.joseph is right, it's a sign. If you ignore a clear safety problem right out front, it makes people wonder what's wrong inside. That lady with the walker proved it. She didn't see a crack, she saw a place that didn't give a damn. It changes your whole first look at a business.