You get what you pay for. The bottom line is that good locations cost more money than less-desirable locations. Many retailers simply do not have the money to invest in a good location. A small location in a large shopping mall can cost more than a larger space in a smaller mall. However, large shopping malls attract more people per square foot than do smaller malls.
Entrepreneurs pay for the people the mall delivers to their door.
Some landlords may not want to risk renting their space to you. They may fear that your business will eventually fail, leaving their lease virtually unenforceable. You must compete with large retail chains for prime space. Beware of so-called deals. Don't get lured into a vacant store location by landlords seeming to offer the bargain of the century.