Chamber surveys local residents about shopping

The Havre Area Chamber of Commerce wants people to shop locally - and also wants to learn what drives some people to shop out of town.

As part of its Buy Local campaign, the chamber is asking Havre residents to fill out a short survey about their shopping habits. The survey includes questions about where people shop, what items they purchase out of town, and why.

Residents can take the survey online, though paper copies are also available at local businesses, said Kathie Newell, who is working with the chamber's Buy Local Committee to circulate the survey.

"In addition to the Internet, we also have hard copies of the survey around town for folks who don't have Internet access," Newell said.

The online questionnaire became operational on Thursday, said Susan Brurud, a member of the committee.

"We would like to get surveys from at least 1,000 people, which is about 10 percent of the population (of Havre). The first day it was out, we had 50 returned, so we're pretty optimistic about the response rate we are going to get," she said.

The survey takes less than five minutes to complete, and participants are entered into a drawing to win prizes donated by local businesses.

Two names will be drawn each week to win the prizes, though participants do not have to provide their name to take the survey.

"At the end, they have the option of using their name or not. If they don't want to use their name, they will not be included in the contest," Brurud said.

The survey will be circulated until mid-August.

"We are probably going to run it until Aug. 15, because we want to run it through the (Great Northern) fair," Brurud said. "What we're going to do with the results is help businesses understand why people are going out of town. We want to educate people about what is available here as well as encourage businesses to expand what products they offer."

Brurud said she believes many people shop out of town simply because they are unaware that the products can be purchased locally.

"There's a lot of misconceptions that we would like to help. Our purpose of course is to help build business in Havre," she said. "I think people would be amazed if they looked at the things that are available in town. It's really quite amazing."

The key benefit to spending money locally is the number of times each dollar ncourage businesses to expand what products they offer."

Brurud said she believes many people shop out of town simply because they are unaware that the products can be purchased locally.

"There's a lot of misconceptions that we would like to help. Our purpose, of course, is to help build business in Havre," she said. "I think people would be amazed if they looked at the things that are available in town. It's really quite amazing."

The key benefit to spending money locally is the number of times each dollar is recirculated in the community, Brurud said.

"For every dollar spent locally, it turns into six. That's how many times it turns over. If people could see the full potential, it's really astounding," she said.

The last question on the survey is a space for participants to write about their local shopping experiences. Brurud said the Buy Local Committee hopes the responses generate valuable information for local merchants.

"It gives you the opportunity to make personal comments. We want this to be a little more personalized, and say 'I had this experience with this business,'" she said.

Anyone with questions about the survey, or businesses interested in donating prizes for survey participants, should call Brurud, Christy Keto, Steve Steinmetz, Katie DeRosa or the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.

The survey can be filled out at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=49093496954