WICHITA — Paul Baumann is preparing to make what he calls a 60-second move.
In October, he plans to relocate his west-side All Paws Pet Center from 21st and Maize to 13th and Maize.
“We’re only moving literally 60 seconds away,” Baumann says.
His store, which Baumann says has everything for a happy, healthy pet, has been near the southeast corner of 21st and Maize for almost four years. Baumann says it’s a great corner, but it has its drawbacks, too.
“It’s difficult getting in and out of the shopping center,” he says. “At 13th and Maize, you can get right in.”
He’ll be at 1444 N. Maize in a 9,100-square-foot center where Little Caesars pizza is.
Baumann likes that the center has plenty of parking and the building has an open floor plan that allows him to have more shelf space and products.
Also, the training and seminar center will now be on the main floor of the business instead of on the second floor away from the sales area.
“It’s the nuance of retail,” Baumann says of his move. “You have to sit there and think about what the customer is thinking.”
When he started asking customers about a potential move, Baumann says he was overwhelmed with their responses.
“They all said, yeah, it’s getting difficult,” he says of getting to the store.
He heard stories about how customers have special routes to get there or only certain times of the day that they will come to shop.
Baumann wondered about all the people who thought the same and perhaps just gave up coming to All Paws. He then felt even more confident about his move.
“He’s going to do very well at this location,” says InSite Real Estate Group’s Dan Unruh, who handled the lease.
“There are features of this center which make it more attractive to some tenants because of its accessibility and visibility,” he says.
There is still 2,600 square feet left to lease.
“We are now 71 percent leased,” Unruh says.
“It’s a nice win for us because 5,200-square-foot tenants are hard to find these days.”