Click here for the CENSUS 2010 Questionnaire

The Census Bureau is touting it as one of the shortest in history with only 10 questions taking no more than 10 minutes to complete.

You may think the Census is just a way for the government to keep tabs on us but that’s not the case.  (well, maybe a little)  Its actually a very important tool to gauge how to allocate resources and federal funding to infrastructure and services.  Hospitals, Emergency Services & Disaster Relief, Schools, Senior Centers and more all benefit from comprehensive data.

Companies like Geographic Enterprises compile this data for easy use and access to Economic Development Organizations, Demographic & Market Researchers, Commercial Real Estate Firms, Assisted Living Communities, Chambers of Commerce and more.  For companies to make accurate decisions on where to open their next location, who to target with direct mail and how to build a balanced sales territory it imperative to have as the best demographic resources at your fingertips.  This simple 10 question form is where it all starts.

Want to see this data in action?  Feel free to contact me personally for a  Research360 web-demonstration to look at basic demographics, retail spending patterns, traffic patterns, federal funding data, venture capital data and even YOUR OWN company data.

Stay grounded,

Rich Mithoff

888.848.4436 x4

How did your community perform back in 2000?  This map from the Census.gov site provides an interesting illustration.

Overall I’d say we did fairly well, definitely better than our typical voter turnout.  Still some room for improvement…we can do this.  Keep an eye out for your questionnaire coming soon, mid-March is what the Census Bureau is saying.

Stay Grounded,

Rich Mithoff

]]> http://www.geo-e.com/cgb/census-2000-mail-participation-rates/768/feed/ 0 http://www.geo-e.com/cgb/the-toll-of-the-great-recession-on-major-us-cities/759/ http://www.geo-e.com/cgb/the-toll-of-the-great-recession-on-major-us-cities/759/#comments Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:02:02 +0000 Rich Mithoff http://www.geo-e.com/?p=759 I found this interactive map on Portfolio.com showing the toll of the Great Recession on major US cities.  The data is a little dated, 2008, but gives you an idea of some areas that have gained wealth and those that have lost wealth.   Newport Beach, CA is leading the way with a with 28.6% of households earning over $200,000/yr and Reading, PA without a single household earning $200,ooo.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW FOR THE INTERACTIVE MAP

Check out this article & heat maps of the Federal Budget on the Atlantic Monthly website.  Although they are not geographic maps, this technique (now commonly used to show stock market valuation changes by industry segment or company) is a great way of visualizing this data to make the point of how big entitlements have gotten and what changes are proposed in the new budget.

The interactive version of the heat map is on the New York Times site.  Quickly switching back and forth between 2010 & 2011, you can see how segments of the budget expand & contract year-to-year.  One of the most drastic changes is the $63 Billion increase in the Net Interest paid on our debt from $188 Billion in 2010 to $251 Billion in 2011.  That is a 33.5% increase in one year.  Ouch!

Stay grounded,

Kent

CopyCat Site Location Research

Site location is easy…a commercial broker finds you an available property, runs a ring study and whammo, the demographic report supports your market.  Wow…simple, right?  Not really.  How many competitors have already earned your potential customer’s loyalty?  How long will it take potential customers to know you are there?  What can you offer that your competitors can’t?  You know this is a difficult proposition.

In many situations it can be easy, many retailers look at others for advice.  If you know your store has the same demographic profile as say, Wal-Mart, you may want to look for locations near one.  This so-called ‘Wal-Mart factor’ is important to many retailers.  Wal-Mart does substantial research to locate their stores where they can drive enough traffic to ensure massive profit.  If your customers are already coming to the shopping center you have the advantage of a built-in customer base.  Starbucks is another with a similar effect, a different clientele, of course, but consistent traffic in theory.

On the flip side, you may want to steer clear of some retailers. The mere mention of Wal-Mart may make you shudder.  So be sure to know who your neighbors are.  You probably wouldn’t put a knitting supply store next to a local pub scene in a college town.  Actually, I think I read something on Yahoo! about knitting being a new microtrend among 20 somethings.  See what I mean?!  Research is key.

Now don’t go dropping big dollars on a location based on another company’s marketing plan.  You still need to do your own research.  You can still get accurate data on a market without breaking the bank.  What did you say?  Your broker supplies free demographic reports and maps?  That’s great!  You know he wants to close the deal more than you do…just sayin’.

You can always get fast and reliable demographic reports and maps from Research360 and we conduct regular webinars so you can see the platform in action.  Click here to sign up for one or just give us a call.

Stay grounded,

-Rich

rich@geo-e.com

888.848.4436 x4

By Katherine Field – http://www.chainstoreage.com/story.aspx?id=129041

( February 1, 2010 ) As store expansion slows, retail site selection activities have decelerated in kind. To keep sales from stalling, most real estate departments have turned their attentions to optimizing the sites they have.

Chain Store Age talked with four retail real estate experts and asked them to provide a watch list of sorts—trends and activities to keep an eye on throughout 2010.

What retail real estate trends, with regard to site-selection/optimization, should we expect to see play out in 2010?

Ivan Friedman, president and CEO, RCS Real Estate Advisors, New York City: Similar to 2009, we’re going to see a number of retailers optimizing their real estate assets in 2010. The result will be more negotiating of existing leases and, in some cases, more vacant spaces at low prices on the market. What this means is that the healthier, growing retailers will continue to take advantage of leasing these vacant spaces at a fraction of the price they would have previously.

In 2009, Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy were able to lease the best spaces left behind by Linens ’n Things and Circuit City for pennies on the dollar. Kohl’s and Forever 21 purchased a number of Mervyn’s leases out of bankruptcy at bargain prices. Big Lots has been signing leases in shopping centers that would not consider them before the downturn.

I think everyone was hoping we’d start to see some stabilization in 2010 and be back to ‘normal;’ instead I think we’ll see more of the same activity we experienced in 2009.

Will any new markets come into play for retailers in 2010, or will stores for the most part maintain the markets they’re currently in?

Charles Wetzel, president, Buxton Co., Fort Worth, Texas: There is no question that, for 2010, the majority of retailers have finalized their tepid plans for growth. 2010 will be the year of optimization for retailers within their existing markets. While some will look to new markets (rural or urban), the majority of focus will be on what a retailer can get out of its existing markets.

Fantastic Sams is a great example. The chain of salons has looked at its existing markets (and new markets) and identified how many stores each market can support. From that point, they started aggressively looking for potential franchisees, having already done the real estate homework for the market.

From a shopping-center owner standpoint, what are you seeing for 2010 from your retailer clients?

Robert Spratt, president, Hill Partners Inc., Charlotte, N.C: Those retailers that can expand are now shifting out of renewals and restructure and closure mode, and are starting to look at new site selection. However, as you roll into 2010, what retailers are focused on is existing product. Publicly traded retailers, such as White House Black Market, have promised Wall Street that they will open a certain number of stores in the next year and will look to existing centers to open those in.

We’re seeing in our existing centers an opportunity to lease space, with high-quality tenants that are repositioning or entering the market or adding in the market. But, progress is slow—evolving rather than a sudden spurt of new activity.

GNC reported to us that the limiting factor for their growth next year is that there aren’t enough sites to open the planned 100 stores. Instead, the chain will open 60 to 70 stores rather than the originally planned 100.

How do you predict the climate between landlords and tenants will be in 2010?

Andy Graiser, co-president, DJM realty, Melville, N.Y: Just as in 2009, landlords will continue to be more flexible than they have been in years past. However, 2010 will bring about bigger challenges for landlords, in that lenders may become increasingly aggressive about landlord net operating income requirements.

From a retailer perspective, we will see some growth in 2010, particularly from chains like Big Lots, which is expanding, and of course the dollar guys.

In 2010 we will see more stores open than last year, but it won’t come close to the magnitude of years past.

Latoya’s map shows how the unemployment rate has changed over the past several years by month, through November 2009. When you get to the map, click the arrow in the middle and watch how things changed. Incredible what “The Great Recession” has done. The old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” is never more true than looking at this map.  Viewing it only takes a few seconds.

The darker the color, the higher the unemployment. 2009 has been BRUTAL, and any reversal in the trend is not apparent.  The current national unemployment map as of the December figure is now at 9.7%.

Here is a chart from Google with the same data as a single line. Click through on the chart below to get the chart by state and county for where you are.

CLICK TO EXPAND

Mapping Americas Wealth - Click to Expand

For more information on how Geographic Enterprises can assist with a data visualization project please call us.  888.848.4436

Bing Destination Maps

Geographic Enterprises would like to hear about your favorite mapping sites.  Please share it with us.  sales@geo-e.com

Link: http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=8F7645E7108D0FD6E881D5428553E0A1

Based on the flurry of reports from a wide range of industry observers, there appears to be growing consensus that the worst may be over for the U.S. economy and that, with consumer spending returning to positive, a retail real estate recovery is in sight, say industry forecasters.

We’re not out of the woods yet, however, these same observers caution. The market should not expect 2010 to end with much-improved occupancy, higher rental rates, a flood of new space completions, or higher property sale prices. Instead, forecasters at Property & Portfolio Research, Grubb & Ellis, Marcus & Millichap, Jones Lang LaSalle and CB Richard Ellis, predict 2010 will mark a return to stability for the majority of U.S. retail markets.

Setting a hopeful direction for retailers’ sales in the coming year, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported that retailers posted a 1.8% gain in sales for the holiday selling period (November-December). While positive, the sales figures are not considered “strong,” but instead as setting a foundation for an expected stronger pace of retail spending in 2010. All-in-all, retailer’s same store sales declined 2.4% in 2009 and for all of 2010, ICSC is forecasting a 3.9% gain in sales year-over-year across all retail segments.