Coastal BID announces major new retail research project
The Coastal BID has announced it will be undertaking, starting on Monday 28 April, and in conjunction with the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA), a major new research project aimed at helping retailers in Boscombe, Southbourne and Westbourne,. The Coastal BID and NCTA are combining forces to find out more about who shops in Bournemouth’s Coastal Villages. They have commissioned market leader FSP to undertake a combination of desk-based research alongside face to face interviews in Westbourne, Southbourne and Boscombe. The results will give a detailed insight into why people are visiting these locations, how much they spend, what type of shops they use – and perhaps as importantly where else people who live in these locations choose to shop.
The first 700 interviews per location were carried out during the week beginning Monday 28 April, with a follow-up series of a further 300 interviews during the main 2014 holiday season. This split will also help to identify the impact that visitors staying in Bournemouth have on the coastal villages. Alun Williams, Coastal BID Manager, said, “We haven’t been able to find any reliable information on the shopping habits of people visiting Southbourne, Boscombe or Westbourne. So, to help local retailers, and to direct our own marketing campaigns we have funded, in conjunction with the NCTA, this new initiative. FSP, who are managing the project have been brilliant in advising us on best practice when it comes to the survey questions to ensure they will be comparable with other locations. We are looking forward to sharing the results later this year with our BID businesses.”
“This new research will provide reliable data into these elements of Bournemouth’s retail sector for the first time,” commented Samantha Richardson, director of the NCTA. “Relevant, business-focussed research like this is exactly the kind of project the NCTA was created to do. The results will give us real insight into the buying patterns of visitors from different areas of Bournemouth and working in partnership with the Coastal BID simply makes sound economic sense.”
For further information please contact: Alun Williams: 01202 291200 alun@coastalbid.co.uk