Insights
What Retail Landlords Get Wrong About Charging ROI
Property & ROI
Charging revenue is only half the return. Dwell time, footfall, and tenant retention change the maths for retail sites.
Key takeaways
Charging ROI on a retail site comes from footfall and dwell time, not only from the price per kWh.
Placement next to food and beverage tenants matters more than the number of bays.
A funded, operated model removes the capital risk that usually stalls landlord projects.
The spreadsheet most landlords start with
Most landlords model EV charging the way they would model a car park: count the bays, estimate a price per session, and work out how long it takes to pay back the hardware. On paper the numbers are thin, and the project quietly drops down the priority list.
That model misses where the value on a retail site actually comes from. A driver who stops to charge stays on site for thirty to forty-five minutes, and that time is spent in the shops and restaurants around them.
Where the return really shows up
The strongest retail charging sites we operate earn twice: once from the charging itself, and again from the extra spend and visit frequency it brings to tenants. That second return is what makes charging a leasing argument, not just a utility line.
It also changes which spaces should be electrified. Bays closest to the food court or the anchor store outperform bays on the edge of the car park, even when the edge is cheaper to wire.
Why capital is usually the real blocker
When a landlord has to fund chargers, grid upgrades and maintenance up front, even a good business case competes with every other capital request in the portfolio. That is where most retail charging plans stall.
We fund, build and operate the infrastructure ourselves and share the revenue with the landlord. The site gets charging that works for tenants and visitors, and the landlord takes on no construction or operating risk.
What to ask before you sign
Ask how the operator decides where bays go, who carries the cost of the grid connection, and how revenue is reported. The answers tell you whether you are getting an amenity that pulls footfall or a row of chargers nobody uses.
