Understanding Your Market Base: Strategic Surveys to Make More Shoppers Core Shoppers

Do you know what characteristics distinguish between your market’s core, higher spending customers and the ones that just shop periodically? How can a detailed understanding of a farmers markets’ most loyal shoppers translate into strategies to systematically grow the core customer base? On this webinar, learn about the findings revealed by an in-depth study of market shoppers conducted by Ontario’s Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network, including customer demographics, motivations, spending habits, and much more. Presenters discuss some practical methods for researching customer perceptions, habits, and motivations in order to continuously improve services, spending, and satisfaction.

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Greenbelt Farmers’ Market 2012 Customer Survey

Presenters:

Anne Freeman, Project Co-ordinator, Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network
Hélène St. Jacques, M. Ed., President, Informa Market Research Co. Ltd.
Co-hosted with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

New Hampshire Farmers Market Manager and & Customer Surveys

A 2013 customer survey at 24 farmers markets conducted by the University of New Hampshire College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and UNH Cooperative Extension found that the majority of customers spend between $26 an $50 per visit, 77 percent travel fewer than 10 miles to their farmers market and 46 percent shop at their local farmers market once per week.

National Farmers Market Training Discussion

Bernadine Prince, President FMC, Co-founder and Co-Director of FRESHFARM Markets, DC

Dru Montri, Director, Michigan Farmers Market Association

Darlene Wolnik, Independent Researcher and Trainer for Public Markets

Farmers Market Report for King County, Washington

Requested by the King County Council, this report identifies many of the challenges impacting farmers markets’ financial viability and future success and identifies some of the solutions that would help strengthen their operations and facilitate farmer access to the markets.

Advertising Impacts Reveal Buying Habits of Farmers’ Market Shoppers

This report details an innovative two year study conducted by the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA), that revealed important details on customer buying habits and responses to advertising by farmers’ markets. In addition to exploring the impact of advertising and marketing strategies, the study revealed attitudes and buying habits of shoppers, allowed for a demographic comparison of shoppers to community residents, and facilitated an estimate of the economic impact of farmers’ markets on surrounding businesses.

Planning and Developing a Farmers Market: Marketing, Organizational and Regulatory Issues to Consider (Agribusiness Marketing Report)

This fact sheet outlines a number of planning issues, including the development of market rules and management approaches that should be considered during the establishment (or redevelopment) phase of a market.

Market Day: Weather

Market Umbrella discusses how to prepare, what to watch out for, and who to alert in regards to bad weather at the farmers market.

Local Harvest Farmers Market/Farm Directory

A website where farmers markets can add their listing to and consumers can search for farmers markets as well as farms, CSA, Coops, and other direct marketing channels in their area.

Selecting A Farmers Market: A Decision-Making Form for Producers

This one page assessment form can be used by producers when evaluating and comparing different farmers markets as outlets for their products.

Sample By-Laws, Policies, and Vendor Applications

A collection of sample documents from British Columbia Association of Farmers Markets (BCAFM) member markets; helpful examples of farmers market policies, regulations, vendor handbooks and vendor applications forms.