Off airport car rental locations gaining popularity

Recent rental car company expansion has led many operators away from airport locations as they attempt to grow this $21 billion industry.

Hertz, for example, is opening its newest Mississippi location later this month on Ridgeland, which is located on U.S. route 51. “Over the past two years, our off-airport locations have grown,” noted Hertz spokesperson Paula Rivera.

The managing editor of Auto Rental News, Chris Brown, has reported that Hertz will be opening 200 neighborhood-based stores in this next year.

Enterprise is also focused on locations away from airports, opening several metro-area locations in the past few years. “We have good business from our off-airport locations; we now have relocated branches to more visible areas,” noted Meghan Maguire, an Enterprise Rent-A- Car spokesperson.

Off-airport locations are growing in number and tend to be more stable income-producers. They tend to be based on supplying rentals for replacement needs, such as car breakdowns, Brown commented.

As airport locations are tied to travel, it is beneficial to have off-airport locations as part of a rental company’s business plan, as these sites are not as subject to the fluctuations of the travel industry, he added.

Enterprise expansion of its operations into neighborhoods has led to having more than 6,500 locations overall, making it the largest car rental company in the U.S.

“Enterprise has definitely exploited the neighborhood market,” Brown noted.

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