Introduction

The Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce has long been a proponent of local consumers keeping their dollars ‘at-home’. It has launched a number of initiatives focused on ‘shop-local’, the most recent being the successful Home for the Holidays campaign launched in December, 2009.

Because of this commitment to the support of local firms, the Chamber recently undertook a comprehensive survey of consumer shopping practices and patterns. The survey was carried out from June 1 until June 18 using both survey teams at various shopping locations as well as through the Chamber’s web site.

Summary

There were 496 responses to the survey (300 is considered sufficient for a statistically valid result given Cornwall’s population). The bulk of the respondents (51.4%) were in the 45 - 65 age bracket with 50.1% of that group falling in the $45,000 - $100,000 household income levels.

Close to 90% of respondents shopped in Cornwall at least once a week with the Brookdale Centre, Cornwall Square topping the destinations at 77.3% and 75.3% respectively, with Eastcourt ranking third at 34.9%. Downtown Pitt Street at 24.8% and Le Village at 5.1% rounded out the shopping areas.

At the same time, over 65% of respondents claimed to out-shop once a month or more with Ottawa identified as the principal destination (76.8% of respondents). The top 10 purchase types during these excursions were women’s clothes, dining, footwear, men’s clothes, groceries, Books/CD’s, children/teens clothing, electronics, and sporting goods.

With respect to stores consumers identified as wanting to see in Cornwall, they have been categorized in three sectors. In the general retail sector, Old Navy topped the list followed by American Eagle, Gap, Children’s Place, Laura’s Roots, Jacob, Moores and Aeropostale. The Bay, with a minimal response ranked highest amongst department stores.

 Specialty retailers included Future Shop, Chapters, Best Buy, Bulk Barn, Michael’s and Toys R Us, Sports Chek, Sports Experts and Golf Town. Aldo ranked the highest for shoe retailers. Restaurants in demand included Starbucks, Montana’s, Red Lobster, Second Cup, Quizno’s Boston Pizza and Taco Bell.

When asked if the stores in demand were located in Cornwall, would consumers continue to out-shop, the results were evenly split with the ‘No’ responses marginally higher. A closer review of the responses indicated a slightly different response with just under 16% stating they would no longer out-shop. However, while close to 27% reported they would out-shop ‘less-often’, just under 30% indicated ‘maybe’.

Questions about service in Cornwall revealed that over 73% considered it to be about the same or better than other communities with just under 19% rating it ‘not as good’. 45% identified areas, or more specifically, stores in which they would not shop because of poor service.

Finally, over 66% believed that hours of operation were OK or ‘just fine’ for their needs while 22% thought it could be better. 8% identified a lack of consistency in hours of operation.

Demographics

465 respondents reported residency in the designated region.

Age range

16 - 24       3.6%
25 - 44     35.4%
45 - 65     51.4%
66 +         7.4%

Income levels

$10,000 - $24,000    7.2%
$25,000 - $44,000  13.7%
$45,000 - $74,000  28.8%
$75,000 - $100,000  21.3%
More than $100,000  23.7%

Permanent residency

# Adults in a household (weighted ratings) 2.1
# Children under 18 (weighted ratings) 1.8

Survey results

How often do you shop in Cornwall?

Almost daily   54.2.%
Once a week   34.6%
Every two weeks     4.0%
Once a month     3.0%
I seldom shop in Cornwall   2.2%

What shopping areas do you usually visit when shopping in Cornwall?

Brookdale Centre  77.3%
Cornwall Square  75.3%
Downtown Pitt Street  24.8%
Eastcourt Mall   34.9%
Le Village     5.1%
Other    23.4%

Do you have occasion to shop outside of Cornwall?

Weekly   17.9%
Once a month   47.5%
Twice yearly   16.5%
Once a year     2.2%
Seldom   13.3%

If so, in which communities do you usually shop?

Ottawa    76.8%
Montreal   45.7%
Massena   28.5%
Other    20.2%

What products do you generally purchase out of town?

Women’s Clothes  61.4%
Dining    50.7%
Footwear   49.6%
Men’s Clothes   43.3%
Groceries   41.0%
Books, CD’s   33.0%
Children’s/teen’s clothes 32.4%
Electronics   30.3%
Sporting goods  25.2%
Furniture/appliances  20.2%
Professional services     9.0%
Cars      8.0%

What stores would you like to see in Cornwall?

There were 414 responses to this question (see Appendix A for a complete list of stores). 

If these stores were in Cornwall, would you still visit other communities?*

Yes    43.5%
No    44.5%
No response   11.8%
*While the survey mechanism tabulated the results of this question as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, many of the responses were vague. Below are the results utilizing a slightly broader interpretation.

Yes    28.0%
No    15.9%
Less often   26.8%
Maybe    28.0%

Thinking about the service you receive in both Cornwall and other communities, how would you compare?

Better in Cornwall  16.5%
About the same  56.6%
Not as good   18.7%
No response     8.0%

Is there anywhere in Cornwall you will not shop because of poor service?

Yes    44.9%
No    46.1%
No response     8.8%

As you think about stores in Cornwall, how would you describe their hours of operation?

Just fine   25.2%
OK for my needs  41.3%
Could be better  21.9%
There is no consistency   8.0%
No response     3.4%

Apendix A.pdf (13.59 kb)