Benefits

Key Benefits of a Commercial Retail Shop Pods

Explore how our outdoor solutions support a range of commercial environments across the UK.

Consistent, High Footfall

Supermarkets attract thousands of weekly shoppers—owning a unit on-site gives your business visibility to a ready-made audience without the cost of attracting them independently. 

Diverse Customer Demographics

From working professionals to parents, pensioners, and younger shoppers—supermarkets draw a broad customer base, helping niche businesses (e.g., podiatrists, EV lounges, pet grooming) tap into varied needs. 

Convenience-Based Spending

Services like dry cleaning, key cutting, and mobile phone repairs benefit from customers wanting to “tick off tasks” during a single trip—owning a space here capitalizes on this behaviour. 

Repeat Business & Routine Traffic

Supermarkets operate on habit—customers often visit weekly or more. Businesses like barbers, nail bars, and coffee kiosks benefit from becoming part of this regular routine. 

Lower Overheads Than High Streets

Compared to city centres or shopping malls, supermarket car park units often have more affordable rents while still offering strong visibility and accessibility. 

Parking Availability Boosts Access

Free or easy parking makes services like podiatry clinics, estate agents, and pet grooming far more appealing versus urban locations with limited access or paid parking. 

Built-in Trust Factor

Being located at a known and trusted supermarket lends credibility to new or smaller businesses—reassuring customers and encouraging trial. 

Outside Space Solutions

 

Calling All Commercial
Retail Space Owners

We place fully equipped retail pods in car parks and retail parks, generating substantial and sustainable rental income with minimal effort from the host retailer.

You get:

  1. Increased footfall from a high-traffic service
  2. A live way to assess tenant demand
  3. 100% of the rental profit—we handle the rest
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+Years of Experience in Outdoor Solutions

Multiple Commercial Use Cases

Retail Pods

Popular and Profitable Commercial Options

  • Barbers – keeps male customers engaged.
  • Mobile phone repairs – a reason to visit beyond groceries.
  • Nail & beauty bars – taps into discretionary spending.
  • Coffee kiosks – morning traffic, repeat customers.
  • Dry cleaning drop-off – errand consolidation.
  • Estate agents – typically city centres, big rent, reduced footfall
  • EV charging & lounge – longer dwell times, sustainability-focused.
  • NHS Screening
  • Bakery stands – impulse buys, family shoppers (non-compete with instore bakery, specific products not in store)
  • Fresh fruit smoothies/ice cream/slush – lunch crowds, evening customers.
  • Eco-refill stations – aligns with sustainability trends.
  • Key cutting & locksmiths – practical, in-demand.
  • Car wash services – convenience-driven add-on.
  • Pet grooming services – attracts pet owners.
  • Fresh flower stalls – event-driven spending.
  • Book & news stands – everyday footfall boost.
  • Bike repair & servicing – ideal for city stores.
  • Podiatrists – free parking is something people value when engaging with services
  • Recruitment Companies – always relevant
Pod Profit Potential

Off-Peak Monetisation Opportunities

Unlike traditional retail locations, car park businesses can profit during off-peak supermarket hours—e.g., early morning coffee runs, late-evening EV charging, or last-minute errands—maximizing daily trading hours.

Synergistic Boost from Supermarket Promotions

Your business benefits from supermarket campaigns (e.g., school holidays, seasonal shopping surges) without having to fund the marketing—leading to passive spikes in revenue during peak retail windows. 

Low Barrier to Entry for High-Margin Niches

The modular format and utility-ready plots make it cheaper and faster to launch high-margin services like beauty, recruitment, or mobile repairs—letting entrepreneurs scale quickly with lower capital risk.

Strong Exit & Franchising Value

Once proven, these units become attractive to franchisees or acquisition-ready businesses. A profitable car park location has transferable systems and footfall data—enhancing resale or franchising profit potential.

Built-In Customer Base Reduces Marketing Spend

High footfall from supermarket traffic means less reliance on paid advertising to drive visits—maximising profit margins from day one.

Get in Touch Today

Our friendly and knowledgeable team are always happy to chat with you, provide and free quote and create a unique custom solution to suit your needs.

Address

Outside space solutions
Unit 4
58 the causeway
Thorney
Peterborough
PE60QH

Get in Touch

Whether it’s business, product or general questions get in touch with us via the form or  info@outsidespacesolutions.co.uk

Phone

01733 214 475


Impact

Environmental Impact

Outside Space Solutions Solar Pods vs traditional hard-wired pods and converted shipping containers

Aspect

  • Energy Source
  • Carbon Emissions (annual)
  • Electricity Cost
  • Grid Infrastructure
  • Flexibility & Deployment

Solar Pods

  • Renewable (solar)
  • ~0 kg CO₂e (off-grid)
  • £0–£200/year (low maintenance)
  • Not required
  • High—mobile, no permits for energy

Hard-Wired Pods

  • Grid-dependent (often fossil fuels)
  • ~2.3–3.0 tons CO₂ e per year per pod
  • £800–£1,500/year (based on UK SME data)
  • Required installation & trenching
  • Medium—site power access required

Example Projected Profit