Customer Intercept Survey: Overview and Methods

• Goal: to better understand current HRM farmers’ market customers and assess their shopping patterns, behaviors, and preferences

• Surveys conducted two Saturdays: Sept 28th & Oct 5nd from 5-9 am

• 119 surveys completed, a significant proportion of customers on each day so results are likely representative

• Not a random sampling procedure so randomness assumptions cannot be made for statistical analysis

• Only reflects customers in fall – not spring flower days customers

• Designed as an exit survey: asked customers what they did at the Market that day, not what they “typically” do

• Some language barriers but several surveyors conducted survey in Spanish

Customer Intercept Survey: Demographics

Households84%

Wholesale13%

Both2%

Other1%

Customer Type

White68%

Black11%

Hispanic12%

Other9%

Race

Male50%

Female50%

Gender

21-29years

30-39years

40-49years

50-59years

60-69years

70+ years

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

Age

Survey CT

Key findings:

• Most customers interviewed are household shoppers

• The Market attracts very few young customers; a large majority are age 40-69

• Racial diversity mirrors Hartford County

Customer Intercept Survey

• Survey median income: $75-100,000

• Connecticut median household income 2012 = $69,243 (quickfacts.census.gov)

• Hartford median household income 2012 = $29,107

Q26. What range includes your total household income, before taxes, for 2012? (N=87)

<=$25k10%

$25-75k38%

>$75k52%

Household Income 2012

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Under$15,000

$15,000 to$25,000

$25,001 to$50,000

$50,001 to$75,000

$75,001 to$100,000

$100,001to

$150,000

Over$150,000

Household Income 2012

Survey Hartford Cty Key findings:

• Customer income skews higher than Hartford County, with largest group of customers reporting income from $100-150,000

• The Market attracts very few very low income and few very high income shoppers

Customer Intercept Survey

Key findings

• Most customers come from throughout Hartford County

• Customers come from all 8 counties in Connecticut

• 43 different zip codes

• Only one out-of-state customer interviewed (Maine)

Q23. What is your home zip code? (Households N=95)

Hartford15%

E, W Hartford

16%Rest of

Hartford County

48%

Rest of CT21%

Residence of HH Customers

Customer Intercept Survey

Q2. How long did you travel to get to the Market today? (N=118)

Q3. Are you here by yourself or did you come to the Market with other people? (N=117)

1%

57%

31%

9%

2%0%

33%

22%

39%

6%

Less than 5minutes

5 - 15 minutes 16 - 30minutes

31 - 60minutes

More than 60minutes

Travel Time to Market

HHs Wholesale

Question 3: GroupsizeGroupsize HHs Wholesale

Average 2.2 1.67

Min 1 1

Max 9 3

Mode 1 43% * 44%

Mode 1 or 2 57% 1 or 2 89%

Sum 218 30

Key findings:

• Household customers generally travel 5-15 minutes to visit the Market, while wholesale buyers have longer trips, with nearly half traveling more than 30 minutes

• Coming to Market is a group activity: average group size among households was 2.2 people and ranged from one to nine

Customer Intercept Survey

Q4. Before today, when was the last time you came to the Market? (N=117)

Q5. When did you first begin visiting the Hartford Regional Market? (N=112)

First time here4%

Last Sat or within week49%

Within the past

month23%

More than month ago

24%

Last Visit : HouseholdsFirst time

here0%

Last Sat or within week78%

Within the past

month5%

More than month ago

17%

Last Visit: Wholesale

2%9%

20%15%

54%

0%6%

17% 17%

61%

Within thepast year

1-2 years ago 3-5 years ago 6-10 yearsago

>10 years ago

First Visit to MarketHHs Wholesale

Key findings:

• Market customers are loyal, consistent, and longstanding

• Almost no new customers

Customer Intercept Survey

Q6. Counting everywhere you made a purchase today, how many different vendors did you buy from? (N=114)

Q7. Did you buy from vendors in and around the shed, from the businesses on the docks, or from both areas? (N=119)

Question 6: Number of vendors where purchases were made

Groupsize HHs Wholesale

Average 3.88 4.17

Min 1 1

Max 10 12

Mode 3 31% *

Sum 372 75

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 >8

Sho

pp

ers

Number of Vendors

Number of Vendors HH Shoppers Bought From

31%

7%

61%

22%

11%

67%

Shed only Docks only Both

Shop at Shed or DocksHHs

Key findings:

• Household customers buy from many different vendors, even though the number of vendors in September is fairly small

• Most households and wholesale buyers shop at both the sheds and the docks, reflecting the Market’s interconnected nature

Household Spending

$0.00

$20.00

$40.00

$60.00

$80.00

$100.00

$120.00

<=$50k $50-100k >$100k

HH Spending by Income

$0.00

$20.00

$40.00

$60.00

$80.00

$100.00

Male Female

HH Spending by Gender

$0.00

$20.00

$40.00

$60.00

$80.00

$100.00

$120.00

$140.00

First time here Last Saturday Within thepast month

More than amonth ago

HH Spending by Last Visit

$0.00

$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

<40 40-59 60+

HH Spending by Age

Q8. Counting everything that you bought, how much money did you spend at the Market today? (N=92)

Question 8: Spent HHs Wholesale

Min $ 9.00 $ 8.00

Max $ 800.00 $ 2,500.00

Average $ 74.44 $ 700.28

Median $ 45.00 $ 350.00

Std Deviation $ 116.94 $ 783.34

Sum $ 7,146.00 $ 12,605.00

Average sale/transaction $ 19.21 $ 168.07

Key findings:

• Household buyers reported high expenditures, about triple the typical average at farmers’ markets

• Lower income households reported spending less than high income, a rare inverse relationship

Customer Intercept Survey

Q9. This time of year, where does your household buy most of its fresh food? (N=103)

Q. 17. How would you rate the service you receive from Market vendors? Would you describe it as very good, somewhat good, OK, somewhat poor, or very poor? (N= 91, 12)

Suprmkt37%

HRM41%

Other11%

Both11%

Where Buy Most Fresh Food

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

Very Good SomewhatGood

OK Somewhat Poor Very Poor

Comparable Rankings: Service

HH Wholesale

Key findings:

• Many customers said they buy most of their fresh food at HRM, suggesting the Market is a key source of fresh food in the region

• Both households and wholesale buyers rate the service they receive from Market vendors highly.

Q. 10-12. Compared to other places that sell similar products, would you describe the quality/selection/pricesof products at the Market as much better, somewhat better, about the same, somewhat worse, or much worse?

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Quality Selection Prices

Comparable Rankings: HH

Much Better Somewhat Better Same Somewhat Worse Much Worse

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

Quality Selection Prices

Comparable Rankings: Wholesale

Much Better Somewhat Better Same Somewhat Worse Much Worse

Key findings:

• Among household customers, prices at the Regional Market stand out as being much better than other places to buy similar products

• Wholesale buyers are more critical and seem to appreciate the blend of selection, quality and price offered at the Market

Customer Intercept Survey

Q15. What things do you like best about the Regional Market? (N=112, up to three answers recorded)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Apples

Quality

Produce item

Freshness

Flowers

Produce

Plants

Atmosphere

What Like Best

Key findings:

• The Market’s atmosphere was mentioned most frequently as what they like, followed by particular products (mainly plants and produce)

• Freshness and quality also received numerous mentions

Customer Intercept Survey

Q16. What things would you like to see changed at the Regional Market? (N=80, up to three answers recorded)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Other

More ads

Paved roads

Smaller quantities

Indoor/shelter

Variety

Parking

What Things to ChangeKey findings:

• Parking stands out as the biggest item that customers would change

• Customers would also like to see more variety

Customer Intercept Survey

Q17. On a scale of one to ten, with one being “not interested at all” and ten being “extremely interested,” how interested are you in each of the following types of foods being offered in a new indoor market facility?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ice Cream

Prepared Food

Chocolate

Mexican

Asian

Wine/Beer

Coffee

Pasta

Italian

Sitdown Restaurant

Meats

Breads

Specialty Foods

Seafood

Cheese

Fruits/Veggies

Indoor Facility Rankings

Key findings:

• Customers are looking for “more of the same” at an indoor market: mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, followed by basic foods, such as cheese and seafood

Customer Intercept Survey

Q18. Again on a scale of one to ten, with one being “extremely unlikely” and ten being “extremely likely,” how likely are you to visit a new indoor market at the Hartford Regional Market if it were open …?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Weekday evenings

Mon-Fri

Sundays

Saturdays

Likeliness to Visit

Wholesale HH

Key findings:

• A new indoor market would most likely be visited on weekends, particularly for household customers

• Interest in shopping at an indoor market during the week was quite limited