Your first store in Morocco: how to compare two locations

You’ve defined your brand concept and found two available premises. One faces a busy road. The other is less visible, but close to places where your future customers already have a reason to stop. How do you choose? A good location isn’t the one that gets the most looks. It’s the one that makes it easy for customers to buy and lets your team deliver what the brand promises, at a cost your model can support.

This method compares two addresses in Morocco for the same concept. If you’re still deciding between a shop, a kiosk or a shop-in-shop, settle on the format you want to compare first. A shop window and a collection counter serve different purposes.

1. Walk the last stretch to the door

Start with a concrete scenario: “After work, a customer wants to collect an order without a long detour.” For an appointment-based business, it might be: “A first-time customer needs to find the entrance and arrive on time without calling the team.” The journey to check depends on that scenario.

At each site, start from likely arrival points: a tram or bus stop, parking, nearby offices or neighbouring shops. Walk to the actual entrance under normal conditions. Note the detour to the crossing, the direction from which the shop window is visible, how easy the door is to find and whether there’s room to stop or wait. Repeat the walk at a different time. An obvious entrance at midday may be hard to spot after nearby shops close.

Consider what brought people there. A group crossing the neighbourhood to change transport may not have time to stop. A quieter place, on the other hand, can suit an offer people seek out in advance. Describe what you observe and the reasons people give; don’t infer spending power or intent from appearances.

2. Observe both addresses at comparable times

Use the same worksheet at both doors. For a first survey, you might compare three 30-minute windows that match your customers’ needs: a weekday lunchtime, the end of a working day and a Saturday slot. With two observers, watch at the same time and swap sites for a second round. If you’re alone, use comparable days. Record the weather, roadworks, market days or events: flag unusual conditions instead of blending them into an average.

• Total footfall: passages along the observed stretch, counted by the same rule. Count passages, not unique individuals.
• Footfall directly exposed to the storefront: passages on the entrance side within sight of the shop window, based on a boundary set before counting. This is an access indicator, not a count of buyers.
• Signs of interest: stops at an authorised display or voluntary answers about a recent need. Record the question you asked, but don’t retain contact details.
• Actual purchases: paid orders during an authorised test with the same offer, price and hours. Without a test, record “not measured”, not zero.

Compare each time slot separately. If a site’s advantage only appears during an event, return on an ordinary day before using it in your decision. Don’t multiply footfall by a guessed purchase rate to predict revenue.

3. Rule out premises that undermine your offer

Walk through a complete cycle: receiving goods, storing them, setting up, taking and handing over an order, cleaning and closing. Check delivery access at the times you need it, storage, utilities and space for waiting customers. A quick collection service stops being quick when customers have to cross the order queue. The advertised floor area doesn’t tell you what’s usable once you allow for storage and circulation.

Separate non-negotiable requirements from things you can adjust. An unverified requirement, such as whether essential fit-out work can be done, is reason to stop. Ask the relevant people for written confirmation of how you can use the premises, what work is needed and what it will cost. Then check the plan against your concept’s operating capacity needs: can the team handle the peak without cutting quality?

4. Calculate what the more expensive site must deliver

Compare recurring costs on the same basis: rent, charges and fees tied directly to each property. List fit-out work, site-specific equipment, money due up front and time to opening separately. Two similar rents can require very different amounts of starting cash.

Fictional illustration, not a benchmark: premises A cost MAD 10,500 a month to occupy and premises B cost MAD 7,800. All else being equal, A needs MAD 2,700 more in monthly contribution to cover this difference alone. If each additional order contributes MAD 30 after variable costs, that means 90 more orders a month. This is neither a sales forecast nor the overall break-even point. If A needs more staff or attracts a different order value, redo the comparison using those assumptions.

If all you’ve observed is more footfall at A, you haven’t established those additional sales. Look for evidence that would change the decision: a temporary trial with permission, paid orders compared over equivalent windows or a written quote that narrows the cost gap.

A decision sheet to keep before you commit

• Describe the customer scenario and the format that both locations must serve.
• Save the comparable time slots, routes, counts and limitations.
• List non-negotiable requirements and mark each as confirmed, unverified or incompatible.
• Record recurring and initial costs and what evidence would change your choice.
• Decide whether to investigate further, negotiate subject to checks or rule out the site. Name the next check and set a date.

This sheet is useful for the second opening too: it separates what was specific to one street from what your concept needs everywhere. Brand founders can draw on Maroc Franchise Value’s consulting expertise to structure their thinking. Growing brands can explore support for franchisors to connect these criteria to their network.

Frequently asked questions

Is a busy street always better?

No. It depends on how easily people can stop and why they are travelling. For an appointment-based business, predictable access can matter more than a large shop window.

What if we can’t test actual sales?

Mark sales as not measured. Rule out incompatible premises, get written cost estimates and keep the decision reversible while the assumption behind your commitment is still weak.