The only thing you should never do in lease negotiations π£οΈ
Jun 17, 2025We just got back from The Boutique Summit in Dallas. Technically, I’m not home yet since I’m writing this on the plane next to a lovely child whose name appears to be “Thunder." Kids these days, amiright?!
Reentry is always a little tough when we come home from Boutique Hub events because our brains have been working overtime absorbing everything we’ve just learned like:
π₯ Pinterest is really powerful for search rankings, and you can hook up your Shopify store directly if you have oneβ¨.
π Even if you arrive in Dallas thinking the trucker hat trend is ridiculous and you’d never wear one, you may very well be heading home with not one but four trucker hats of your own. “If you love me, pay my rent” was my gateway drug.β¨
π The home and gift market will likely be hardest hit by tariffs, and word on the street is that we might not have enough holiday decor this year to stock shelves! How will I continue my quest to find the perfect candy cane pen?! I’ve been searching for the right one since fourth grade! Shaped like a candy cane, blue ink, delicious aroma of peppermint when you write. WHY IS IT SO HARD.β¨
π΄ A “farrier” is someone who manicures and shoes horses, and it's an understandably critical job on the rodeo circuit with moonlighting opportunities with the circus. And not to throw anyone under the bus, but one particular Pedal intern learned that horseshoes are actual shoes for horses…not just a backyard game. That was a big day for us.β¨
The other thing that Abby and I really learned (again) is that there’s a lot of misinformation coming from well-meaning friends and advisors about what retailers should NEVER agree to in their leases. We heard no fewer than five versions of:
Yes! Retailers really need support before signing a lease! I had a friend/ client/ neighbor and I told her…
• She should NEVER agree to maintain the HVAC! That’s the landlord’s responsibility.β¨
• She should NEVER agree to pay CAM charges! That’s just unfair.β¨
• She should NEVER agree to a ten-year term! That’s predatory.β¨
• She should NEVER agree to percentage rent! You shouldn't pay extra if you do well.β¨
• She should NEVER agree to a personal guaranty. You shouldn’t mix personal and business.β¨
β‘οΈ The truth is, there's only one thing retailers should never do. You should NEVER NOT NEGOTIATE. β‘οΈ
Because every business, every space, and every deal is unique, there are always reasons why one business would agree to terms that would be unacceptable to another. Unless and until you’re really under the hood looking at a specific business’ financials and real estate criteria, it’s impossible to say what is and what’s not appropriate in someone’s lease.
Ultimately, what both parties – landlord and tenant – seek in a lease is twofold: maximum security and maximum flexibility, and the only way to get both is to fully participate in crafting the deal.
So in leases and trucker hats, never say never.
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