Calling all Exeter retailers! Can you help show local authorities how your business is affected by the way customers travel to your shop?
With Exeter City Futures facilitating, a small working group of independent retailers and representatives of retailer groups has formed to find out how people are travelling to shops across Exeter, and whether they’re repeat customers.
Inspired by the recent changes to Exeter’s walking and cycling infrastructure as the city emerges from Covid-19 and by the city’s aim to be net zero by 2030, the working group is working closely with Devon County Council and Exeter City Council and will share the information collected with them.
No other comprehensive Exeter-level data on customer travel exists, so this is a real opportunity to evidence customer travel behaviour and to help inform future decisions about the city’s infrastructure.
Want to add your voice?
The initiative kicks off on Monday 7th September and we are encouraging retailers of all shapes and sizes from across Exeter to take part. It’s easy to get involved!
Complete a light-touch point-of-sales survey for the week, send us the completed form, and we’ll analyse your data alongside that of all other participants to provide the local authorities with a snapshot of customer behaviour and how it is affecting local businesses.
The plan is to then repeat the survey at regular intervals in order to update the councils throughout the seasons and as new infrastructure measures are installed.
Conscious of your time, the working group has trialled the form to make sure it is straightforward to complete and minimises the amount of your time needed to input the information.
It is appreciated this is another ask at an already busy time for you. However, we hope you agree that it is a vital step in helping Exeter understand how customers are travelling to shops in the city and the impact this has on businesses and the local economy. Plus, any feedback you can give us as to how to make this survey work better for you is very welcome.
Who is involved?
The working group consists of Bunyip, Exeter City Futures, Federation of Small Businesses, Grocer on the Green, inExeter Business Improvement District, Nourish and Princesshay.
The data collected, once analysed, is anonymised and will be shared under the OGL v3 data licence on the Exeter Data Mill, and directly with Devon County Council and Exeter City Council.
I’m a retailer, how do I take part?
For more information and to take part, email: L.Wookey@exeter.ac.uk