Survey Says: Keep Moving at the Speed of Safety

A recent consumer/visitor survey conducted by Heart of Biddeford shows enthusiastic support for the safety measures taken by the downtown business community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly two hundred people responded to an online survey in the one-week period of July 13-20, 2020. The survey was distributed through the Main Street organization, Heart of Biddeford, in their weekly newsletter and on their social media channels. As a means to incentivize participation, respondents’ names were entered into a raffle for a $100 Gift Certificate to a downtown business.

Heart of Biddeford’s director, Delilah Poupore, said the results showed a large amount of agreement among the majority of respondents. “No matter the age, gender, or racial/ethnic background, people in the Biddeford area showed they strongly value the safety measures undertaken by the downtown business community.” When consumers were asked how business practices such as mask-wearing, outdoor dining, and curbside delivery affected their likelihood of frequenting a business, Poupore said, ‘The results showed overwhelming support for moving at the speed of safety.”

The strongest results included:

• 86% said they’d be more likely or much more likely to go to a business where staff are wearing masks (only 3% said they’d be less likely to go there).
• 83% said they’d be more likely or much more likely to go to a business where customers are wearing masks ( 6% said they’d be less likely to go there).
• 86% said they’d be less likely or much less likely to go to a business where it looks like “life as usual” (only 7% said they’d be more likely to go there).

At least 70% of consumers responded they would be “more likely” or “much more likely” to go to a business that included the following safety measure (with 3-6% saying saying they’d be less likely, and an average of 20% were “neutral”):

• Mask-wearing by staff and customers
• Availability of outdoor dining
• Curbside pick-up and delivery
• 6-foot markings on the floor
• Strict limit on the number of customers in the store
• Touch-free payment methods
• Curbside pick-up and delivery
• Hand sanitizer offered at the door.

In the comments section of the survey, a quarter of respondents took the time to offer a story about their experience. Many conveyed their gratitude to the small businesses for their efforts to adapt to COVID-19, specifically mentioning over 20 different businesses that had provided a positive customer experience. Two respondents said they felt there was “mask-shaming” for people who didn’t wear masks. Mask-enforcement is one of the dilemmas that many businesses face. Jackie Hardin, co-owner of Yeto’s restaurant in Biddeford, says that customers want options. “If someone is uncomfortable wearing a mask, we let them know we are very happy to bring their meal out to their car for take-home. We value their business, and customers seem to appreciate the flexibility we offer.”

Consumers/Visitors were also asked about their dining/shopping practices since the COVID-19 shut-down, summarized below:

• 54% are now dining outdoors or will soon. However 20% said they do not plan to do outdoor dining now or even through the fall, with 26% starting in August or September.
• Only 27% are dining indoors or plan to soon. 49% said they do not plan to do indoor dining even through the fall, with 24% starting in August or September.
• 54% are retail shopping now or will soon. But, showing a trend of caution, 42% do not plan to retail shop in person even through September/the fall, with 5% starting in August.

There was also strong hesitation about gathering in large groups. 68% said they’d be uncomfortable or very uncomfortable attending an outdoor event that included 50 or more people (even with safety measures), while 24% said they would feel comfortable (with the remaining 7% neutral).

The results were somewhat more positive for an outdoor retail event, like a sidewalk sale. While 41% said they’d feel uncomfortable, nearly half (46%) said they’d feel comfortable going to an outdoor retail event (and 13% neutral)

The survey asked demographic questions, giving Heart of Biddeford a sense of the age, gender, race/ethnicity and employment status of respondents. While ages were quite diverse, their responses were not very divergent. In fact the 35-49 year olds tended to answer about the same as those who were 65+. In a notably conservative response, the 18-34 year olds were actually the most likely to avoid businesses that seemed to be acting as if it’s “life as usual.” As respondents aged, they were slightly more likely to be swayed by practices such as plexiglass, hand sanitizers and floor markings. There did not appear to be strong differences based on gender, and the number of respondents who were Black, Indigenous or other People of Color was too small to draw any conclusions.

Business owners have been invited to a Business Zoom Call on Monday, August 3 at 3:30 p.m. to discuss the implications of these results. Registration is available at this link.