Workshop for local businesses and downtown revitalization enthusiasts Wednesday

An intensive workshop focusing on learning the attitudes and purchasing behavior of retail consumers that shop in downtowns will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at Church Landing in Meredith. It is for any business or community member interested in evaluating and improving customer’s experiences.

The all-day workshop, offered by the N.H. Main Street Center, will teach two types of primary consumer research: customer surveys and focus groups. Customer surveys are a quantitative tool that can help to define who shops Downtown, where they come from, where they buy various goods and services, and how they perceive the commercial district. Focus groups are a qualitative tool for understanding customer attitudes, impressions, and experiences of downtown.

“First-hand, on the ground research on local customers usually proves to be a critical component of a community’s efforts to understand its local market and economy,” said Deborah Turcott, director of the center. “Despite the dry sounding nature of the subject, we guarantee to make it interactive, fun, and above all, practical.”

The workshop will be led by two industry experts: Joshua Bloom, principal of Community Land Use and Economics of Boston, and Arlington, Va., and Karyn Franzen an independent qualitative consultant from Boston. The all-day workshop will teach participants how to design an effective survey instrument, data manipulation and interpretation, as well as how to organize and facilitate focus groups.

The workshop is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is free for anyone in a designated N.H. Main Street community and $75 per person for all others. All participants must pre-register. For more information or to register, call New Hampshire Main Street Center at 223.9942.