Notice unoccupied establishment could be used as a retail space (6)

I believe the answer is:

market

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'be used as a retail space' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'notice unoccupied establishment' is the wordplay.
'notice' becomes 'mark' (synonyms).
'unoccupied' suggests removing the centre (remove the inside letters which occupy the word).
'establishment' with its centre taken out is 'et'.
'mark'+'et'='MARKET'

'could' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for market that I've seen before include "Offer for sale, demand" , "Commercial location" , "Outlet for goods" , "Gathering for sale of goods or livestock" , "Where goods and services are bought and sold" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.