Hertz targets Gulf Coast

Rental car giant Hertz Corp. will expand its network of non-airport stores nationwide, including four on the Gulf Coast.

The new Gulf Coast locations, called Hertz Local Edition stores, will be in Bradenton, New Port Richey, Tampa and Wesley Chapel, according to a Hertz news release. Park Ridge, N.J.-based Hertz intends to open nine new local edition stores in total in Florida.

Furthermore, the firm says it plans to open 125 local edition stores spread through 33 states. That will give the company more than 2,200 neighborhood locations across the country. Hertz officials say non-airport transactions include monthly and multi-month rentals. Customers keep those cars, on average, for longer periods of time than other rentals. That drives higher revenues per transaction, the firm says.