Gatew-1.4/Re-CS 970321 (2)fNATIONAL HOME
FURNISHINGS ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 2396, High Point. NC 27261-2396 · (919) 883-1650 · 1-800-888-9590. FAX {g19) 883-1195
PARKING
Many zoning laws require parking spaces in direct ratio to square
footage of the store, which may make sense for supermarkets, drug
stores, and small-ticket, high-traffic item stores, but 'not for
home furnishings stores. However, the NHFA Annual Operating
Experiences Report has been widely accepted throughout the country
by local zoning boards as a basis for figuring parking spaces for
furniture stores. .;
Here is the formula that is generally accepted:
Annual Sales = Number of Sales
Average Sale
Number of Sales = Sales per Day Days Open
Sales per Day = Parking Spaces Required *3
* One third of a day's customers, including nonTbuyers as well as
buyers, in the store at one time.
The figure for the "average sale" above would be $506.80 as shown
for all stores in our 1993 Operating Experiences Report, or the
figure relating to your store's own sales volume category could be
used.
The "days open" figure should be the total for the year, or 312
days if the store is open six days a week.
In general, parking space requirements can be figured at one
customer per every 1,000 square feet of display space, or assuming
that for a 25,000 square foot store, 25 customer parking spaces
would be adequate. (Bryant-Forney recommends this: one parking
space allocated for every 2,000 square feet of selling space, plus
parking for one car for every 2,000 square feet of warehousing on
the premises.)
Affiliates: Intedcr Design S(x:iely · National Home Furnisnir,gs Asscctatto~-West ·Naticnal Home Furnishir~gs Association-Norlhwest · Southeastern Home Furnishings Associatic~
Southern Home F,~rn~shings Association · Florida Furniture Dealers Assoc~tion · Car,adian Home Furnishings Association