Got a nagging issue with “Not Enough Customers” in your almost perfect utopia in Cities: Skylines 2? The game’s detailed tutorials and documentation aren’t going to be much of a help, but we’ve got you covered. This Cities: Skylines II guide will explain the underlying reasons for it, and how you can address the problem.
A returning issue from the previous game, the primary reason for the alert is because Cim customers either cannot access or are disinclined to visit the business leading to lowered profits. Fortunately, most of the same strategies from Cities: Skylines will work here as well.
In order to create the right conditions for the economic viability of commercial zones, try the following:
Ignore Demand – Cities Skylines 2 “Not Enough Customers”
Don’t rely on the demand bar to determine how much commercial you zone for–just because you can, doesn’t mean you should, or even need to zone to meet the claimed demand. It is greatly exaggerated and you’re better off zoning in small chunks using the Marquee or Paint tools, over the Fill tool. Yes, Cims do need jobs, as well as goods, but remember that a balance needs to be maintained, and that there are also industrial jobs to be filled as well.
Balance Commercial With Residential
Customers won’t spawn out of thin air. In order to even have a customer base, you first need to have a significant residential area where they can live, before they patronize your commercial businesses. Density matters, and you should try to match housing density with nearby commercial density zones. A 1:1 ratio of residential to commercial is a recipe for disaster, and you should really be aiming for a 2:1 ratio.
Cities Skylines 2 “Not Enough Customers”: Overall City Planning
Create buffer zones between residential areas and heavily commercial zones, and once again, don’t use Fill to zone vast areas with a single type of commercial zone. Instead, use Paint to create small, focused areas of commercial activity, just large enough for nearby residential zones. Keep in mind that road access is an important factor for commercial viability.
Parking Lots
This should be obvious, but street parking can often be full downtown, and if customers can’t park somewhere close to commercial destinations, they’re probably going to be disincentivized from shopping there too.
Mass Transit
Besides private transportation, customers may want to travel to commercial areas with public transportation, so be sure to make provision for transport links like taxis and buses with stops, as well. This will also reduce traffic congestion in high density areas, which is another annoyance for the average Cim.
Tax Incentives
Lowering taxes fixes everything everytime. Adjust commercial tax and absorb the hit to the city’s coffers, but allow businesses to expand and improve faster. There is a measure of granularity to adjusting commercial tax rates in the menu, allowing you to only give certain ailing businesses a break, based on your observations and needs. Perhaps it’s just a certain type of business plagued by the lack of customers?
Cut Your Losses
You could check all the boxes for viability and still have a failing business, in which case you’re better off simply removing it and moving on, perhaps even changing the zone type, or outright de-zoning it altogether.
Cities Skylines 2 “Not Enough Customers” Game Bug
Lastly, you should know that if the message is persistent despite your best efforts, it may be a bug that is currently active as of this post’s date.
That’s everything you can try to solve the “Not Enough Customers” issue in Cities: Skylines II. Check out our coverage of other games currently out now, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder & Spider-Man 2.
