Shopping Mall Stands

[draz]

How effective are they?

[Encrypted]

I never see anyone buying anything from them in our mall. They're one of those things where people just walk past because 99% of the time there's overpriced crap at them.

[peteVA]

I had a kiosk in a large regional mall for several years and did quite well until a new company bought the mall and doubled the rent. I quickly bailed.

I had several employees and got along OK through the year, but November and December were the only reason I stayed the other months. In order to make sure I had the exclusive rights to the product mix I was selling, I had to stay so no one else could get in.

The last Christmas season I was there I went from the kiosk, which the new owners said had to go to 3 carts alongside each other. One cart did $40,000 is sales in 2 months, with cost of goods at $13,000, or a 67% gross profit. Even with rent about $10,000 or so, still some nice change for 2 months business.

Just tonight my wife and daughter were shopping in the mall and were told by someone how much they wished we would have stayed, and it's been 4 years now since we left.

Long hours, hard to pee, some really slow days, but with the right products a nice income can be made. Having family to help, and not having to pay "real employees" also helps. Although, I hired a couple of Russian girls who were mostly a real joy to have as employees, particularly after having mostly American girls who expected a position, as opposed to a job where they actually had to do something.

And it can't be beat for people watching.

[Archer]

I can tell you that it depends on the mall. The mall in downtown Portland rotates kiosks with such regularity I'm surprised anyone bothers. In this case, I'm fairly certain it's because the mall is practically nothing but expensive shops like Sacs, so their average customer isn't going to five the kiosk the time of day. You're going to want to find a mall with a wide demographic.