1.0 Executive Summary. 2.0 Background 2.1 TOWN OF GANANOQUE 2.2 RESIDENT CONSUMER SURVEY 2.3 DATA INTERPRETATION

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1 GANANOQUE RESIDENT CONSUMER SURVEY GANANOQUE RESIDENT CONSUMER SURVEY Prepared by: Twn f Gananque Ecnmic Develpment Department 2014

2 1.0 Executive Summary The Twn f Gananque with supprt frm the Gananque BIA and Gananque Public Library, develped a twenty-tw questin survey regarding resident cnsumer trends. The survey was distributed it t each husehld within the Twn f Gananque thrugh Canada Pst unaddressed admail. The bjective f creating this survey was t gather infrmatin that will assist the Twn f Gananque and assciated partners and rganizatins t establish plans that meet the needs f the cmmunity and increase the area's ecnmic viability. 2.0 Backgrund 2.1 TOWN OF GANANOQUE The Twn f Gananque is internatinally renwned as the Gateway t the 1000 Islands and is recgnized as ne f Eastern Ontari's mst stunning waterfrnt cmmunities. The cmmunity is cmprised f 5200 peple and welcmes ver visitrs each year. Strategically lcated n the Hwy 401 crridr and near the U.S brder, Gananque is centrally lcated between majr urban centre s including Trnt, Mntreal and Ottawa. With its unbeatable quality f life and larger centers nly minutes away, Gananque has develped int a wrld class destinatin fr travelers, businesses and residents. 2.2 RESIDENT CONSUMER SURVEY The Resident Cnsumer Survey was created based n the Resident Survey that was distributed in 2007 with the assistance f Ontari Ministry f Agriculture, Fd and Rural Affairs, OMAFRA. The intent was t create a similar survey s that there was cnsistency and cmparable infrmatin. The survey fcuses n cnsumer trends and shpping habits while explring the needs f the business cmmunity. The survey fcuses n the lcal cnsumer base that supprt the businesses n a year arund basis. T prvide further analysis, this study shuld be cmplemented with a Trade Area Analysis that examines the brader scpe f the cnsumers frm the regin and turism market. 2.3 DATA INTERPRETATION The infrmatin frm the surveys was cmpiled n a survey prgram, Survey Mnkey, and then generated int graphs and charts t accurately measure and assess the interview respnses. The surveyed husehld respnses represent apprximately 15% f the ttal 2346 husehlds in the Twn f Gananque prviding a statistical significant analysis. The results prvide bth quantitative and qualitative infrmatin based n the infrmatin cllected in the survey.

3 3.0 Survey Summary A ttal f 355 husehlds cmpleted the Cnsumer Survey in January/February Overall the prfile f the respndents represented lng term residents with 54% having resided in the cmmunity ver 25 years and 22% having resided in the cmmunity between years. Of the respndents, a ttal f 80% were ver 45 while 20% were between the ages f reflecting the aging ppulatin. The average husehld size recrded in the survey was 2.4 which are similar results in relatin t Statistics Canada that recrded the average husehld size as 2.7 in While 40% f the respndents were retired, 30% were emplyed lcally with 17% being emplyed in Kingstn and 4% in the Twnship f Leeds and Thusand Islands. The fllwing pints summarize the qualitative and quantitative results f the survey. The majrity f residents f Gananque prefer t shp in their Twn s dwntwn as ppsed t utside the cmmunity. The mst prminent reasn fr shpping utside f Gananque is the greater selectin, price and availability f prducts. The majrity f respndents (80.86%) shp in the Twn f Gananque tw r mre times a week, fllwed by Kingstn (14.81%). Quick errands, grceries, autmtive supplies, hardware gds, pharmacy & drug stre, persnal care services, prfessinal services, banking and recreatinal activities are the gds and services that respndents predminately purchase in Gananque. Clthing & apparel, furniture, appliances/tv/electrnics, gift & nvelty are items that respndents travel utside f Gananque t purchase, predminately t Kingstn. Quality and price were rated the mst imprtant characteristics when making a purchase decisin. There are requests fr increased peratinal hurs fr the dwntwn businesses as respndents feel it wuld allw them t invest mre in their lcal ecnmy if gds and services were available at mre cnvenient hurs. Overall 35% f respndents recmmended Friday after 6:00pm fr extended business hurs fllwed by 22% recmmending Sunday afternn. There is an verwhelming need fr a mderately-priced family clthing stre, with 76% respndents stating this is a necessary additin t Gananque. Suggestins typically included Giant Tiger and Marks Wrk Warehuse. There is als an abundant need fr a department stre, with ver 35% f respndents specifically requesting a Giant Tiger r a department stre f similar nature. There were cmments regarding the need fr cntinued dwntwn beautificatin effrts. The majrity f respndents cntinue t rely n print and lcal radi fr infrmatin n lcal events and prmtins, including the Gananque Reprter (80.23%), St. Lawrence EMC (49.28%) and MyFM (41.26%). The Santa Claus Parade and Ribfest were the events mst attended by respndents.

4 4.0 Survey Questins and Results 1. What is yur hme pstal cde? 321 Respnses 2. Hw ften d yu shp at the fllwing lcatins: Gananque, Brckville, Kingstn, Westprt, Twnship f Leeds & Thusand Islands, Smiths Falls, Ottawa, New Yrk State, Other. % OF RRESPONDANTS Tw r Mre Times a Week Once a Week Twice a Mnth Once a Mnth Very Rarely r Never

5 3. Where d yu travel fr the majrity f the fllwing: Quick errands, grceries, clthing & apparel, furniture, appliances/tv/electrnics, autmtive supplies, hardware gds, pharmacy /drug stre, gift & nvelty, restaurants, persnal care services (hair saln, esthetician), prfessinal services (insurance, legal), wrk, culture & entertainment, banking, recreatinal activities. Clthing & apparel Furniture Appliances, TV, electrnics Gift & nvelty Culture & entertainment Wrk Prfessinal services (insurance, legal, etc.) Recreatinal activities Restaurants Autmtive supplies Persnal care services (hair saln, esthetician, Banking Hardware Gds Grceries Pharmacy & drug stre Quick errands 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Gananque Brckville Kingstn Westprt Twnship f Leeds & Thusand Islands Smiths Falls Ottawa New Yrk State

6 4. Please RANK the imprtance f the fllwing characteristics (Name Brand, Custmer Service, Quality, Price, Lcal Availability) n the decisin t purchase each gd (Grceries, clthing, furniture, appliances/electrnics, hardware gds, gifts/jewellery). Please rank 1 thrugh 5, 1=mst imprtant, 5=least imprtant. Name Brand 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Custmer Service 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

7 Quality f Prducts 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Price 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Lcal Availability 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

8 5. Hw ften d yu visit Gananque s Dwntwn rather than travelling elsewhere fr the fllwing: Quick errands (gas statin, cnvenience stre, etc.), grcery shpping, clthing shpping, furniture shpping, appliance/tv/electrnics shpping, autmtive supply stres, hardware/paint/wallpaper shpping, pharmacy & drug stre, gift & nvelty shpping, restaurants, persnal care services (hair saln, esthetician), prfessinal services (insurance, banking, legal), wrk, culture & entertainment, recreatinal activities. Appliance, TV, electrnics shpping Furniture shpping Clthing Shpping Culture & entertainment Persnal care services (hair saln, Gift & nvelty shpping Autmtive supply stres hardware, paint, wallpaper shpping Prfessinal services (insurance, legal, etc.) Restaurants Recreatinal activities Pharmacy & drug stre Wrk Grcery shpping Quick errands (gas statin, cnvenience, etc.) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Tw r mre times a week Once a week Twice a mnth Once a mnth Very rarely r never

9 6. When yu shp in a lcatin ther than in yur cmmunity s dwntwn, what are the tw main reasns why? (Clser t hme, clser t wrk, better hurs, better selectin, better price, better quality, ther (please specify), I nly shp in my dwntwn.) 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Better selectin Better price Better quality Better hurs Clser t wrk Clser t hme I nly shp in my dwntwn 7. If stres in the dwntwn ffered extended hurs, when wuld yu mst likely shp: Mnday after 6:00pm, Tuesday after 6:00pm, Wednesday after 6:00pm, Thursday after 6:00pm, Friday after 6:00pm, Saturday after 6:00pm, Sunday afternn, Other (please specify), I wuld nt use extended hurs. (Please chse tw answers) 50.0% 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%

10 8. Hw strngly d yu agree r disagree with the fllwing statements? (Check ne answer fr each statement) Stres in my dwntwn are pen when I want t shp. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Strngly Agree Smewhat Agree Smewhat Disagree Strngly Disagree 9. What new businesses r services wuld yu like t see in Gananque s dwntwn? 274 Respnses Mst cmmn respnses include: Family clthing/apparel stre Department stre such as Giant Tiger Butcher/meat shp Other specialty r health fd stre Fitness/recreatinal facility Fine gift stre Electrnics Ethic fd r family restaurant

11 10. Hw lng have yu lived in ur cmmunity? (Check ne answer) Less than 2 years 4% 2-5 years 8% 5-10 years 12% 25+ years 54% years 22% Less than 2 years 2-5 years 5-10 years years 25+ years 11. Hw far d yu live frm Gananque s dwntwn? (Check ne answer) 5-15 minutes driving time 13% minutes driving time 3% I live dwntwn 17% Less than 5 minutes driving time 67%

12 12. Where d yu wrk? (Check ne answer) I am retired 40% Other 6% Gananque 30% Twnship f Leeds & the Thusand Islands 4% Kingstn 17% Brckville 1% Belleville/Trentn 1% Ottawa 1% 13. What is yur gender (ptinal) Male Male 22% Female Female 78% Male Male Female Female

13 14. What is yur age (ptinal) 19 r under 0% % % % 19 r under What is yur husehld size (ptinal) 312 Respnses Average 2.4/husehld 16. What is yur husehld annual incme (ptinal) $75,000- $100,000 19% $100,000 16% $50,000-$75,000 20% Under $25,000 13% $25,000-$50,000 32% Under $25,000 $25,000-$50,000 $50,000-$75,000 $75,000-$100,000 $100,000

14 17. Please list any cmmunity events yu have attended in the past year (i.e. Santa Claus Parade, lcal festival, etc.). 275 Respnses Mst cmmn respnses included: Santa Claus Parade Ribfest Craft shws Farmers market Theatre (Thusand Islands Playhuse & Dreams in Mtin) Hckey games 18. What frms f media d yu rely n fr infrmatin n lcal events, prmtins, etc? (Check as many as apply). 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0%

15 19. The Gananque Public Library current hurs (listed in survey). Is there anther time when yu wuld like t see the Gananque Public Library pen? Yes 14% N 86% N Yes 20. Library services are evlving. Please cnsider the fllwing services and indicate what yu wuld like t see in the future. (Check as many as apply) 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%

16 21. Are yu currently a library user? (Check ne answer) If n, why nt? (Please list reasns) N 51% Yes 49% Yes N 22. If yu have any ther cmments regarding the retail shpping and/r services in Gananque s dwntwn, please add them belw. 216 Respnses (See Survey Summary fr the mst cmmn respnses)

17 5.0 Cmparatr Results The Resident Cnsumer Survey was created based n the Resident Survey that was distributed in 2007 with the assistance f Ontari Ministry f Agriculture, Fd and Rural Affairs, OMAFRA. The intent was t create a similar survey s that there was cnsistency and cmparable infrmatin. The 2007 results can be fund nline at the fllwing web address. Overall, the respnses were very similar with respect t the 2007 and 2014 surveys. The 2007 survey had a greater respnse with an additinal 83 cmpleted surveys. Based n the infrmatin cllected, the frequency f shpping has declined slightly ver the past 7 years with 83% in 2007 t 75% in 2014 f residents shpping in Gananque tw r mre times a week. Hwever, there has been an increase frm 13% in 2007 t 19% in 2014 f residents shpping lcally nce a week. In bth surveys quick errands, grceries, autmtive supplies, hardware gds, pharmacy & drug stre, persnal care services, prfessinal services, banking and recreatinal activities are the gds and services that respndents predminately purchase in Gananque. The nly categry that changed significantly was clthing shpping which decreased frm 14% in 2007 t 7% in This change may be accunted fr by the lss f family clthing stres in 2007 including Sctt s, Diers and Fields. Althugh family clthing stres are still present in 2014 there seems t be a lack f awareness in the cmmunity. The dwntwn cnsumer trends have remained similar in the past 7 years with a similar percentage f residents shpping in the dwntwn area. There remains a demand fr lnger business hurs and the day and time has been cnsistent with a request fr extended hurs Friday evening after 6:00pm and Sunday afternn. Tw additinal questins were added t the 2014 survey regarding events and use f media t assist the Gananque BIA with their event planning activities. Additinally, three questins were added t the 2014 survey t assist the Library with their planning needs.

18 6.0 Recmmendatins Fllwing the cmpletin f the survey and an analysis f the data, a number f recmmendatins have been prvided. These recmmendatins have been established based n the initial review. Hwever, it is essential that the next steps fcus n cllabratin between the business rganizatins and related cmmunity grups. It is suggested that the primary grups engaged include the Chamber f Cmmerce, Business Imprvement Area, Thusand Islands Accmmdatin Partners, Keys Emplyment Centre and interested business members. Thrugh the cllabrative effrt, a wrk plan can be established t address the varius recmmendatins and further analyse the dcument. The prmtin f existing lcal businesses is necessary as there were requests frm respndents fr gds and services that are currently available within Gananque. This was especially bserved with family clthing stres. Adjusting the selectin and availability f gds and services t better suit the cnsumer wuld encurage residents t shp in Gananque. An increase in awareness and engagement in festivals and events culd translate expsure fr businesses and pprtunities t engage the cnsumer. Based n the gaps identified by the lcal residents, there are a variety f business pprtunities including family clthing, specialty fds, husehld/electrnic gds and a butcher shp. These businesses will cntinue t be targeted thrugh investment attractin activities. Establishing a family apparel and/r department stre wuld fill a large gap in Gananque s cnsumer needs and deter many residents frm travelling utside t purchase apparel and husehld items. A mre cllective business cmmunity that takes pride in their dwntwn shpping district wuld help t prmte the area t draw future investment. Creating a c-p r ther prjects similar t that f the Gananque Farmer s Market is a great way t prmte lcal gds and assist in the launching f businesses. Create a pilt prject with the BIA businesses extending hurs n Friday evening during the busy summer perid. There is a desire in the residents f Gananque t shp lcal. Taking initiative t better understand their cnsumer needs will allw the business cmmunity t adapt and grw t better meet these needs. There is an pprtunity t establish a frmal Business Retentin and Expansin Alliance with the assciated partners and rganizatins t versee activities that address the recmmendatins. Activities culd be t prvide business wrkshps, prmte business awareness, create business prfiles and prvide recmmendatins t address the cmmunity s ecnmic viability.