Friday, February 24, 2017

Assignment 2: Study Areas, Geocoding, Customers, and Trade Areas

1 Introduction

1.1  Purpose of this study

In San Francisco County, CA, two friends are owners of two separate coffee shops. Both of them want to maximize their trade areas in a way that benefits both businesses. Under the circumstance that they do not want to compete against one another. In order to maximize the trade areas, the competitive market needs to be addressed. This entails looking at where the customers are coming from, understanding the competition, and the accessibility to the coffee shops.

1.2  Scope of this study, sources, and methods

Both stores have provided the addresses of their respective customers as well as the addresses to the coffee shops. One map will show where the customers are coming from in relation to the two coffee shops based on the geocoded addresses that were provided. The customers will be divided into those that choose to be loyal to coffee shop 1 and coffee shop 2. Coffee shop 1 will be addressed as the shop to the north of San Francisco County and Coffee shop 2 will be referenced as the shop to the south of the county, shown in Figure 1. Mean centers will also be calculated for each business so see the mean area where customers are located.
Figure 1. Reference map of the Coffee shops in San Francisco County. 

Another map will analyze the competition in San Francisco County for the two coffee shops. ESRI Business Analyst provides the data for the locations of other coffee and doughnut businesses in the area. The next map looks at the customer derived trade areas for the two coffee shops. These areas will assess whether the two owners will have competition against each other. After looking at the trade areas, a final map will demonstrate the walk/drive times to the businesses. Most of the customers walk to the coffee shops, so the distance radius is altered to fit purpose of the map.

2 Findings and Discussion

2.1 Customers

After the addresses of each respective customer was geocoded in Business Analyst, the distribution of customers was based on relative location to the coffee shop. Figure 2 has a divide in the county in relation to its customers. The Store 1 customers are closely clustered around the coffee shop compared to Store 2 customers. Store 2 has a big more spread and more customers that travel farther to attend Store 2. This is proven also by looking at the mean center. The mean center of Store 1 is so tightly clustered that the mean center symbol is touching the coffee shop symbol for Store 1. As for Store 2, the mean center is lightly farther off of Store 2. After reviewing the locations of the locations of the respective customers, not as many live as close to Store 2 (compared to Store 1), but the customers are coming from longer distances. One thing to point out is that there is a few outlying customers. Some of Store 1’s customers are mixed in the Store 2 region and vice versa.
 
Figure 2. Location of Respective Customers for each Coffee Shop with the Mean Center of the customers.

2.2 Competitors

The majority of competitors are clumped in the northeast corner of the county, surrounding San Francisco, CA. This near the Union Square, Financial District and South market of San Francisco. Store 1 is approximately two miles from the center of the competitors, which can be seen in Figure 3. However, Store 1 more susceptible to competition compared to Store 2. Store 2 only has a few other competitors around it, but none so close that they are practically next to each other.
 
Figure 3. Location of the other Coffee and Doughnut Shop Competitors.

2.3 Customer Derived Trade Areas

The trade areas were based on the customers. Figure 4 includes a multiple ring buffer around the coffee shops indicating where 40%, 60%, 80% of the customers are located for each store. The population within the 80% radii is 128,925. The largest age cohort (25-34) takes up 27.5% of that population. Followed by 15-24 and 35-44 being the next largest cohorts. The population that surrounds both of the businesses is mainly young adults.
Figure 4. Customer Derived Trade Areas with buffers at 40%, 60% and 80%. 

 The first assumption that can be made is that Store 2 has a larger trade area than Store 1. The customer derived trade area is more stretched out due to the spread of customers. The 40% of Store 1 extends over 2 miles roughly. 80% of the customers need to be reached a farther distance. Comparing this to Store 1, much of that market is between a mile and 1.5 miles. Therefore, Store 1 does not have to go as far to advertise its business. One thing to note is the consumer spending. In 2016, within the 40% radius of both businesses, the average spent on food away from home was $4,164.45 and the total amount was $62,749,905. This numbers are for any food, but bakeries and coffee shops are included in that spending amount.

2.4 Drive/Walk Times

Considering many of the customers walk to these coffee shops, the walk/drive distances had a multiple ring buffer at .5 miles, 1 mile, and 1.5 miles in Figure 5. Referring back to the customer derived trade areas in Figure 4, 80 percent of the customers were within about two miles of the business. Taking into considering the walking routes or accessible roads within the 1.5 mile radius, the buffers are altered to fit the specifications. The customers for both businesses are tightly clustered around the location of the coffee shops. Looking specifically at store 1, many of the customers fill the .5 mile area as well as the mile radius. Store 2 has a similar pattern, but still a significant amount of customers in the 1.5 range. Store 2 has a customer base that is willing to travel a little farther than the customers at Store 1.
 
Figure 5. Walk/Drive Times for each coffee shops with buffers at 0.5 miles, 1 mile, and 1.5 miles.

3 Conclusions

The customers are willing to travel farther distances to Store 2 more because there is less competition on the southern half of the county. Store 1 is located closer to the central business district of San Francisco County. That leaves the customers location being significantly closer. With more competition around, they do not have to travel as much to get the coffee or doughnut product. Simply, Store 2 has a widespread of customers, while Store 1 has a more closely compacted spread of customers. It seems a though a line could be drawn through the county that will distinguish between customers of Store 1 and Store 2. By not having a mix within their customers, the competition with the two businesses will not have to be an issue.  Store 1 will have to take into consideration the high concentration of competition in the northeastern part of the county, specifically to the east of the business. For Store 1, its trade area could be extended. There is a higher chance of customers from farther distances willing to come to the coffee shop, but not as far as interfering with Store 1’s customers. 

4 Recommendations

After considering the findings and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations can be made to maximize the trade area for Store 1:
  1. Extend the trade area to the Richmond District. A handful of customers have identified their location in the surrounding areas of the district.
  2. Create a promotion around the Golden Gate Park. This could attract tourists or influence anyone doing recreational activities to stop at the shop for a break.
  3. Maximizing the trade area east of the business will create a more competition for the San Francisco area.
  4. Note that the Mission District is heavily influenced by Store 2 customers to the south, and Potrero district is in the “dividing” line of the two store customers.

Based on the findings for Store 2, the following recommendations to maximize the trade area include: 
  1. Trade areas should be extended farther distances to a 3 to 5 mile radius around the business, as long as it does not interfere with the alterations of Store 1. Look specifically to extending it to the northeast or south east of the store.
  2. To attract an area that has minimal competition and not as many customers, the southwest corner of the county would be an area to advertise to people who do not have great access to coffee and doughnuts. 
  3. Diamond Heights would be a community that would be worth extending the trade area too.
  4. City College of San Francisco is within the 1.5 mile buffer. Promoting a coffee shop to college students would be a great investment in the business. Many students find that coffee shops are great places to study and run on caffeine.
  5. Since customers are willing to travel longer distances for Store 1, San Francisco State University could be a good area to maximize the trade area. 

5 Appendix

Data can be found publically in the Q:Drive of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s server.

Retail Goods and Service Expenditures:


Data Note: The Spending Potential Index (SPI) is household-based, and represents the amount spent for a product or service relative to a national average of 100. Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding. This report is not a comprehensive list of all consumer spending variables therefore the variables in each section may not sum to totals.

Source: Esri forecasts for 2016 and 2021; Consumer Spending data are derived from the 2013 and 2014 Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Bureau of Labor Statistics

6 References

ESRI. 2016. "Esri Business Analyst."


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