The Dot Survey Results are In!

If you visited the City Market on June 5th, you probably saw the easels placed around the market with lots of colorful dots on them.  We handed out adhesive dots for shoppers to answer questions posed on the easel boards.  At the end of the day, we had four boards, covered with dots, indicating preferences, passions and opinions about the City Market.  Here are the questions posed, the multiple choice answers presented, and the votes/dots cast for each one:

Do you plan to do any additional shopping, eating, errands or other activities downtown today?    (Total dots = 296)

  1. BulletYes - I have other things to do downtown today              103 dots (35%)   


  1. BulletNot Today - but I frequently combine downtown             86 dots   (29%)   

                               activities or errands with the Market


  1. BulletNo - I’m just here for the market                                       107 dots   (36%)    

How much will you spend, or have you spent, at the City Market today?  

(Total dots = 240)

  1. BulletLess than $20                                                                    114 dots (47.25%)   


  1. Bullet$20 t0 $40                                                                           95 dots (40%)   


  1. Bullet$40 to $75                                                                           21 dots (8.75%)  


  1. Bullet$75 to $100                                                                           8 dots (3%)   


  1. BulletMore than $100                                                                     2 dots (1%)   

 

What influences your market food purchases the MOST?   

(Total dots = 167)

  1. BulletPrice                                                                                     16 dots  (9.5%)   


  1. BulletLoyalty to particular vendor                                                41 dots  (24.5%)   

                             

  1. BulletAppearance                                                                          14 dots  (8.5%)   


  1. BulletKnowing origin of product/location of producer                 46 dots  (27.5%)


  1. BulletGrowing Practices (organic, no-spray, etc)                          50 dots  (30%)

The final board in the dot survey asked shoppers to make a choice between two pathways toward the future of the City Market:                                                          (Total dots = 222)


  1. BulletPath #1 proposed that we stay on the straight and narrow,                       10.5 dots  (4.75%)

        make no changes or improvements to the market, and

        keep exactly what we have:  a hot, sloping parking lot, with no

        running water, no shade, and no permanency.                                                  


  1. BulletPath #2 is a little complicated, and involves community                       211.5 dots  (95.75%)

        effort, support and commitment.  This path leads to a permanent

        home, with amenities and features that improve the market for

        vendors and customers alike, and represents a community

        commitment to the Charlottesville City Market.   


This last display board asked people to dream a little about the City Market, particularly to think about what might be possible if we pursue a course different from the status quo, and to consider what is necessary to make that dream a reality.  The results clearly show that a whopping 95% of respondents see a pathway of effort and commitment to the future of the market as worthwhile.


What about that dot that was torn in half?? Actually, that torn dot tells the entire story, and I’m going to hazard a guess about it:  I think that lone dot-ripper loves and appreciates the vibrancy and sense of community that is our market now, and they think that change of any kind might upset that scenario.  But I also think that person is intrigued by the thought of what a permanent home would mean and stand for in our community.  I also think they share a vision of how much more appealing it would be to shop and visit in a market that was more customer- and vendor-friendly, and one that was in a secure place for generations to come. I think that dot-ripper is on to something .... don’t you?                               

                          


- Kathy Kildea