How do I check a gift shop’s tourist traffic dependence on one nearby attraction?

Ask the seller for sales by day, week and month across several full years, then lay them over the attraction’s open days, events and closures. A close match shows dependence. A shop that sells steadily on days the attraction is quiet has other customers.

Split the customers if the till allows it. Ask how many are visitors off a tour or ticket, how many are locals, and how many are passing traffic. Card data by postal code or a guest book can help, though neither is complete.

Then ask about the attraction itself. Who runs it, does it have plans to change hours, move, expand or close, and does the shop have any arrangement with it, such as a referral or shared signage? Visit on a quiet day and a busy day and count who walks in. Ask your accountant what a sudden drop would do to your payments and your lender’s expectations. Also ask what the shop does to draw visitors on its own: signage, social posts, partnerships with nearby cafés or lodging. A shop that earns its visitors, instead of waiting for the attraction to send them, is in a stronger position than one that simply sits next door.

Key takeaways

• Overlay several years of sales on the attraction’s calendar and closures.
• Separate visitors, locals and passing traffic wherever the records allow.
• Ask whether the attraction’s owner has plans that change visitor flow.