The recently completed survey of Merrill residents asked questions about shopping habits and patterns. Sixty one percent of respondents stated they need to leave Merrill weekly for shopping and/or entertainment, where 16 percent stated they needed to leave Merrill for shopping and/or entertainment more than once a month. Only 18 percent answered “monthly or less,” while 5 percent reported “daily.”
The most common reasons for leaving Merrill for shopping or entertainment included purchasing adult clothing, purchasing shoes and eating at moderate priced restaurants, purchasing children’s clothing, and buying sporting goods, novelty items, household goods, major household purchases or electronics.
Merrill residents report spending money on entertainment outside of Merrill on a monthly basis. Thirty six percent of respondents report spending between $25 and $100 per month while 32 percent of respondents report spending between $100 and $250 per month on entertainment outside of Merrill. A notable amount of dollars are spent shopping outside of Merrill as well. On a monthly basis, 61 percent of residents responding to the survey spend between $25 and $250 shopping outside of Merrill, and 33 percent spend over $250 per month.
A final shopping related question asked if online purchases were made on a regular basis and there was a choice between shopping online and shopping at a local store (assuming similar price and quality), how often would the respondent choose the local merchant? Fifty eight percent said “almost always” and 18 percent said “it depends on the item.” Only 16 percent would most likely shop online due to the convenience and the remaining respondents do not shop online.
In light of these particular survey questions and answers, there are two very important things Merrill residents can do to make Merrill even better.
The first is to shop in Merrill when possible. Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms – continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community. Non-profit organizations receive an average 250 percent more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses. Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers. A great example of this is Merrill Ace Hardware, which offers excellent service from highly qualified sales staff.
Local businesses are owned by people who live in Merrill, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future. Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.
A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.
The second thing Merrill residents can do to make Merrill even better is to not be Merrill’s own worst enemy. A common response to the question, “What does Merrill have that is better, or more attractive than surrounding communities?” was “Nothing.” There are many positive attributes to Merrill that if they are not known or apparent to the residents, cannot be promoted to visitors and potential new residents. Fortunately there were other responses to that question which will be detailed in next week’s survey summary article.
For more information about the survey results, contact Dave Johnson, City Administrator, at 715-536-5594 or [email protected].