Gravenhurst's Economic Development Team completed a Retail Mix and Gap Analysis in June 2018, which has assisted in forming commercial investment attraction campaigns, working towards building a full and diverse portfolio of retail offerings for residents and visitors.
This project will also assist in achieving a number of goals and objectives identified in the Town's 2015-2020 Strategic Action Plan. Find additional municipal information on the Plans and Reports page.
Between Oct – Dec 2017, a general consumer shopping and teen shopping surveys were deployed. Just under 400 completed responses were received. Public consultation was also facilitated in early October during the Economic Development Community Update Event. The findings provide by these consultation were analysed and used to develop conclusions within the final report.
What is a Retail Gap Analysis? |
While the concept may be titled "gap", it is an opportunity to identify most needed and desired future retail business opportunities and ultimately have them fill current land, building and service vacancies in the community. A comprehensive list of current retail sector businesses is compiled. Available and occupied square footage is assessed, along with employee numbers, sales, spending and consumer shed data (where people shop, in and out of Gravenhurst, and how much they are spending on specific types of items). Various consultations with local and regional consumers and partners are conducted over a period of time, then the data is reviewed and compared and a final report is completed to provide a full overview of the Gap Analysis results. |
Final Report and Recommendations |
The Final Retail Mix & Gap Analysis Report confirms that Gravenhurst has a strong and growing brand which is fostering an emerging brewing subsector and innovative cooperative retail models. There is the availability for current and future investment prospects as well as a steady residential growth. Below are a number of recommendations made based on the research in this report, and below each recommendation are a number of potential strategies.
|
Learn more about Investing in Gravenhurst and our local Target Sectors.
For more information about this project please contact the Economic Development Team at 705-687-2230 or Jeff Loney, Manager of Economic Development at jeff.loney@gravenhurst.ca
Contact Us