The neighborhood store in Haile Village Center, a

The neighborhood store in Haile Village Center, a TND in Gainesville, Florida, was recently moved across the street and down a block, according to developer Robert Kramer. A new manager was hired, and sales immediately rose 40 percent in the Village Market. Although much of this business improvement can be attributed to better management, the new location also helped. “A lot of the success has to do with the store’s relation to the sidewalk and the visibility,” says Kramer. “From the street, you can see people behind the counter. It’s almost like you could carry on a conversation with them. It also has tables outside. All of this makes a difference.” The previous store, although built to the sidewalk, was not as conspicuous. The Village Market has gone through several changes in management since it opened in 1996. The first operator ran the store as an independent business, but was never able to make enough of a profit. Kramer took over operation of the store in the same building, but sales still lagged. Now, with the new location and management, the store is finally showing a profit. “The gross sales are enough now that I think it will be paying us full market rent in a couple of months,” Kramer says. “It’s worth the investment, because a corner store is essential. You don’t have much of a place if you don’t have a store like this.”