marketing survey 2017 › _files › docs › ... · business ownership 74.2% 16.1% 3.2% 6.5%...

Church Street Marketplace Marketing

Survey 2017Greer CowanMarch 2017

2017 Survey Specifics

o 31 CSM retail businesses

represented

o 24 question survey

o Data collected in February and

March of 2017

o Comparing 2016 sales to 2015

sales

o Identifying promotional and

advertising trends across CSM

businesses

Business Ownership

74.2%

16.1%

3.2%6.5%

Business0Ownership0 of0Respondents

Locally0Owned Nationally0Owned Franchise Other

o 74.2% of respondents

represent locally owned

CSM businesses

o 31 total respondents

45.2%

67.7%

12.9%6.5%

22.6%

6.5%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Other2business2location

Website Catalogue Wholesale None Other

Percent2of2CSM2Businsess2 that2Sell2Products2Through2Other2Channels

Channels through which CSM Businesses Reach Customers

o 2/3 of respondents reach

customers through a website

in addition to their Church

Street Location


Channels through which CSM Businesses Reach Customers

o CSM businesses are

seeing the highest sales

through their Church

Street Locations and

Websites


67.7%

22.6%

6.5% 3.2%

Channel. Through.Which.CSM.Businsses. See.the.Most.Customer.Traffic

Church.Street.Location Other.Location Website Other

Profitable Channelso CSM businesses are seeing the

highest sales through their Church

Street Locations and websites

o On average, CSM businesses with

online stores reported that 28% of

their sales are through their

website


67.7%

22.6%

6.5% 3.2%

Channel. Through.Which.CSM.Businsses. See.the.Most.Customer.Traffic

Church.Street.Location Other.Location Website Other

Sales

o Nearly half of respondents reported that

sales were up from 2015 to 2016

o An even number of respondents reported

that sales remained even or dropped from

2015 to 2016


Saleso 50% of respondents reported that

they saw the highest sales in the 3rd

quarter, while the other 50%

reported strongest sales in the 4th

quarter

o 92% of respondents reported that

they saw the slowest sales in the 1st

quarter of 2016


50.0% 50.0%

7.7%

34.6% 34.6%

23.1%

61.5%

11.5%

26.9%

92.3%

3.8% 3.8%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

1st/Quarter 2nd/Quarter 3rd/Quarter 4th/Quarter

Percent/of/CSM/Businsess/ that/Saw/Strongest/and/Weakest/Sales/in/Each/Quarter/of/2016

Highest/Sales Second/Highest/Sales Second/Lowest/Sales Lowest/Sales

1st Quarter Sales Periods

o 72% of respondents ranked

Presidents Day Weekend as one of

the top three sales period for the

1st quarter of 2016


72.4%

53.4%

29.1%

39.6%

39.4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Presidents5Day

Winter5Lights/5Winter5Weekend

Valentines5Day

Magic5Hat5Mardi5Gras5Parade

Easter

Percent5of5CSM5Businesses5 that5Identified5the5Following5Sales5Periods5to5be5Amoung5the5Top5Three5Highest5Grossing5Periods5for5the51st5Quarter5of52016

2nd Quarter Sales Periods

o 72% of respondents ranked UVM

Graduation as one of the top

three sales period for the 2nd

quarter of 2016


21.6%

18.4%

14.7%

72.2%

61.0%

61.7%

10.8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Mothers3Day

Champlain3College3Graduation

St.3Michael's3College3Graduation

Univeristy3of3Vermont3Graduation

Memorial3Day3Weekend

Discover3Jazz3Festival

Fathers3Day

Percent3of3CSM3Businesses3 that3Identified3the3Following3 Sales3Periods3to3be3Amoung3the3Top3Three3Highest3Grossing3Periods3 for3the32nd3Quarter3of32016

3rd Quarter Sales Periods

o 65% of respondents ranked UVM

Homecoming & Family Weekend

as one of the top three sales

period for the 3rd quarter of 2016


11.0%

61.2%

36.0%

29.4%

18.1%

25.3%

3.7%

14.4%

64.8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Vermont4Brewer's4 Festival

Sidewalk4Sale

Labor4Day4Weekend

Fashion's4Night4Burlington

Independence4Day

Festival4of4Fools

Wings4Over4Vermont4Air4Show

Pride4Weekend

UVM4Homecoming4&4Family4Weekend

Percent4of4CSM4Businesses4 that4Identified4the4Following4Sales4Periods4to4be4Amoung4the4Top4Three4Highest4

Grossing4Periods4 for4the43rd4Quarter4of42016

4th Quarter Sales Periods

o 72% of respondents ranked Black

Friday as one of the top three

sales period for the 4th quarter of

2016


24.1%

13.8%

69.0%

44.8%

72.4%

48.3%

13.8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Columbus4Day

Santa4Parade4&4Tree4 Lighting4Ceremony

Week4Before4Christmas

Week4After4Christmas

Black4Friday

Small4Business4Saturday

Day4of4Giving

Percent4of4CSM4Businesses4 that4Identified4the4Following4Sales4Periods4to4be4Amoung4the4Top4Three4Highest4

Grossing4Periods4 for4the44th4Quarter4of42016

Primary Customerso 38.7% of CSM businesses

identified Burlington residents to

be their primary customer

demographic

o 25.8% of CSM businesses each

identified VT residents or college

students to be their primary

customers


38.7%

25.8%

3.2%

25.8%

6.5%

Percent/of/CSM/Businesses/that/Identified/the/Following/Groups/to/be/their/Primary/Customers

Burlington/Residents Other/VT/Residents College/Students Tourists Other

External Factors o 47% feel the new downtown

parking policy has no impact

on business, while 40% feel

negatively about the policy

o 90% feel CSM sponsored

events have positive affects on

business

o 80% feel waterfront events

have slightly positive or no

impact on business

o 80% feel the farmers market

has a positive affect on

business


30%

7%

37%

50%

20%

40%

53%

13%

20%

63%

40%

7%

47%

13%

10%

3%

23%

3%

3%

17%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Farmers2Market

South2End2Art2Hop

Waterfront2Events2&2Concerts

CSM2Sponsored2Events

New2Downtown2Parking2Policy

Affects2of2External2 Factors2on2CSM2Businesses

Very2Positive Slightly2Positive No2Impact Slightly2Negative Very2Negative

Busiest Days of the Weeko 100% of respondents

identified Saturday as one of

their busiest two days

o 50% ranked Friday as one of

their busiest two days

o 36.7% see the highest levels of

customer traffic on Sundays

o 30 total respondents 3.3% 0.0%

3.3%6.7%

50.0%

100.0%

36.7%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

MON TUES WEDS THURS FRI SAT SUN

Percent@of@CSM@Businesses@ that@Ranked@Days@of@the@Week@ to@Be@Amoung@there@Top@Two@Busiest@Days

Advertising

o 90.3% of respondents use

social media to advertise

o 74.2% use email

o 67.7% use newspaper


67.7%

45.2%

29.0%19.4%

74.2%

19.4%

90.3%

29.0%

16.1%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Advertizing7Outlets7Used7by7CSM7Businesses

Advertising: Social Media

o 96.8% of CSM businesses are

on Facebook

o 93.6% are on Instagram

o 61.3% are on Twitter


Advertising: Social Media

o 35.5% of CSM businesses post

on social media platforms

weekly

o 32.3% post daily


16.1%

32.3%35.5%

6.5%3.2%

6.5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Several0Times0a0Day

Daily Weekly Monthly Never Other

Frequency0of0Social0Media0Activity0for0CSM0Businesses

Advertising: Specific Media Outlets

o Most CSM businesses are

advertising in local

newspapers

o Many CSM businesses are also

advertising on local radio

stations


Promotions

o 69% of CSM respondents

identified they discount

merchandise

o 58.6% said they distribute

coupons

o 44.8% host flash sales


58.6%69.0%

44.8%

31.0%38.0%

10.3%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Coupons Discounted9Merchandise

Flash9Sales Sweepstakes/9Drawings

Customer9Loyalty9Programs

Other

Percent9of9CSM9Businsses9 Using9Various9Promotion9Methods

Promotions

o 41.9% of respondents usually

participate in CSM sponsored

promotional events

o Close to 20% always

participate in CSM

pormotional events


19.4%

41.9%

29.0%

6.5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Always Usually Occasionally Rarely

Frequency= of=Participation=in=CSM=Sponsored=Promotional= Events

What are some future topics you'd like to have addressed at Merchant Meetings?“Minutes from the meetings posted somewhere in case we miss a meeting.”

“General sales trends and comparisons to previous years for the entire group of marketplace merchants.”

“How to capitalize on getting traffic to Church Street and in turn into our store.”

“I like to hear about how other retailers market and promote their events and to find out what works best to help drive sales.”

“Continue to keep an eye on the Town Center development and mitigate its impact as best possible.”

“Stronger police/security presence.”

“Getting more vendors on the top block. Having fest of fools do a pitch on top block. Anything to draw people up.”

“Lack Of Downtown traffic.”

“Local SEO. Best practices conversation. It would be neat if each store presented their marketing plan.”

“Addressing the impact of the mall renovation.”

What types of retail oriented events would you like to see on Church Street?“Shop local events, 802, flash mobs.”

“Can we have hanging flowers this spring/summer?!”

“Waiter/waitress vs. retailer races.”

“More emphasis on Christmas.”

“Festivals and activities that draw people into downtown Burlington are significantly better for our business than retail promotions like fashion shows, sidewalk sales etc.”

“Engage the customers in combination with Marketplace events, demos, classes, tastings that can be combined I think that will really be successful.”

“First Friday of every month have retailers, artists, food vendors, bands or DJ's, breweries out.”

“An event promoting creativity on Church Street.”

“It would be interesting to see if retailers could host products (in locked cases) at different points of Church Street to potentially branch out in clientele. (Top block products at bottom and vice-‐versa)”

“A bridal or wedding oriented event, VT has a booming wedding business. ”

“Holiday punch card. Every store you shop at you get a hole punch. When you fill a certain number you put it in for weekly drawings.”

“A second sidewalk sale.”

“Pajama shopping (Fall)/ Early opening”

marketing survey 2017 › _files › docs › ... · business ownership 74.2% 16.1% 3.2% 6.5%...

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