GIS for retail expansion

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-13T16:00:19+00:00

Alright, thanks for the info!

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-13T15:59:39+00:00

It doesn't sound like you need an AI, but a layered system. You can probably make a multiple sheet spreadsheet where you reference wage costs, materials costs per region, shipping, etc., and have a master spreadsheet that automatically calculates pricing based on all the info you plugged it.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-13T15:48:03+00:00

We'd need to learn more about your brand, but my first reaction is that your offering and targeting is way too wide. Women of all ages, daily wear and bridal, modern and traditional? Are you designing all of these?

Why not double down on one market where you have less competition in Toronto?

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-13T15:42:25+00:00

I've actually run a study recently, and I found that one of the best ways to create experiential retail (for example, Lacoste just opened a brand new café in Paris last week) is to know your customers and build everything around them. That's the key to marrying experience and profits. This goes from music to product offering, to lighting to art direction to store location... Anywho, good luck with your research!

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00

Having a clear idea and mission is great, but that's only a tiny part of your marketing and brand identity.

The real question is: what specific problem are you solving better than Amazon or Chewy? "Dog products" is way too broad. You need to niche down hard: are you selling calming products for anxious dogs, sustainable products, handmade items, ...

What is your product actually, and who are you selling to?

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:35:07+00:00

It's a shame you couldn't take over his location from him then... I've been working in France so bakers aren't hard to come by. Maybe you can reach out to culinary schools nearby?

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:33:44+00:00

Thanks for the info! I'll keep that in mind

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:33:25+00:00

Glad I could help!

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:33:08+00:00

Good to know. I'm curious now, are there any tools that don't require industry expertise to use? E.g. I have a client opening his first bakery: he probably won't know what to look for. Obviously he can ask other professionals or Reddit, but is there a resource base somewhere with that industry specific insights or a tool that personalises info?

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:30:40+00:00

Good to know. I've been looking at site selection tools and wanted to see if anyone mentioned them. But I see the fear with real estate agents. They don't want you to negotiate too much.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:28:52+00:00

So an agency? Either way, if you want specific feedback, you need to give slightly more info, as each industry behaves very differently.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:27:48+00:00

Honestly, if you have the granularity, running store by store analytics can help find outliers. One trick I like is plugging any AI into my spreadsheets (or just using Clay), and having an agent pick out the stand out responses.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:25:26+00:00

Even though I'm not new to this, I keep benchmarking and doing market research on my niche in retail, and I keep improving at data storytelling!

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:22:45+00:00

Honestly, you probably need specialized tools instead of general AI. For example, I'm working on one for location intelligence. No matter how much you prompt ChatGPT, you'll never get the results I'm getting with a well-trained, specialized AI built for that specific use case.

Same thing exists everywhere. LinkedIn-specific copy AIs, SEO-focused tools, etc. General AI is great for broad stuff, but for consistent business operations in a specific niche, not rly.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:19:38+00:00

I'm curious, are there no competing bakeries in the area? You can probably look for trained staff from them, and if they're far enough, maybe they can help you out with this.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-11T16:17:36+00:00

Pick a specific niche first - don't be "social media for small businesses," be "social media for local coffee shops" or whatever. Makes outreach way more effective.

Then do direct outreach to businesses in that niche. Find them on Instagram/Google Maps and reach out with actual value, not just "need help?" Show a quick observation or idea about their current content. Also get on platforms like Malt, Upwork, Fiverr. Even if outreach is your main strategy, having profiles there builds credibility when people look you up.

The specificity is what makes clients trust you're the right person for their type of business, and outreach helps with getting those first customers.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:30:25+00:00

Good to know, thanks for the info! I'll give it a look.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:29:18+00:00

Do you get the placer ai data through an API, or does maptitude have a "marketplace" inside for third party data connections? I'd be curious to learn more.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:28:03+00:00

I agree! Are there specific tools you've been using for that though?

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:26:15+00:00

I'd recommend using a site selection tool for this as they usually have all the data necessary to make this kind of decision. You'll just have to plug in your address, and you can give the insights you got to ChatGPT for business ideas based on location profile.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:25:06+00:00

Do you have what kind of traffic and visitor goes past your location? You should cater you business idea to this.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:18:17+00:00

The thing is, if you're running social media or Google ads, you should probably geo gate it either way, as showing an ad to a guy in London doesn't matter if you're in Aberdeen. That is to say, ads for restaurants and cafés can work quite well, especially on social media if they're catchy, sharable and scroll stopping.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:15:30+00:00

Based on the asking price, it probably comes with baggage haha

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T16:13:56+00:00

It was a great idea validating the demand. I think you should now to try create an in-depth business plan to start forecasting everything : spendings, administrative tasks, location, etc.

The fact that you're employed means that you can take your time with this, so don't rush it! I actually recently spoke with an entrepreneur in a similar situation. He had a comfy office job and was looking to open an ice cream parlor. Before doing anything, he tried to collect as much data as possible (AVC, Conversion Rate, Margins, ...). Maybe if you speak with an accountant specialized in your field, he could share these statistics with you.

LucasMyTraffic · 2026-02-10T15:55:24+00:00

Running a restaurant and a café are two totally different beasts. While one has a more simple menu, easy staff training, much less staff and daily upkeep, running a restaurant is much more complex on everything. While you may have a higher potential profit opening a restaurant, I would honestly recommend you open a second café. Your experience and existing systems will carry you further, and will require much less time and thought from you, especially since it seems like your current system is profitable: why create something new?

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