Jodi Low

2/19/2015

RESULTS OF DOT SURVEY

Santa Monica Sunday Main Street Farmers Market

This report presents the responses obtained from visitors to the City of

Santa Monica Sunday Main Street certified farmers market held at 2640

Main Street on February 15, 2015 from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm. The DOT

Survey was carried out to assess entertainment and educational

programming preferences of the market’s customer base to assist staff in

developing new pilot programs.

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Results of DOT Survey

Santa Monica Sunday Main Street Farmers Market

BACKGROUND Market Location 2640 Main Street

Start Date January 1995

Farmers 33

Prepared Food Vendors 13

Retail 14 (limited to stores from the Main Street business district)

Weekly Entertainment

Activities

Pony rides, petting farm, face painter, balloon designer, band, arts and

crafts

Approximate weekly customer

attendance Approximately 3,000 to 5,000

City of Santa Monica Farmers Market staff used the dot survey approach to conduct consumer research at

the farmers market. The dot survey technique is a “self-service” research approach that asks a limited

number of questions displayed on poster boards and easels in the market. Customers/Visitors at the market

were given three colorful, round, self-sticking dots and asked to indicate their preference to the three

questions posed on the poster boards by placing one dot per question. The dot survey technique was well-

received by the customer base since it is a quick, simple, and fun way to encourage consumer participation

and collect feedback. The dot survey was developed by Larry Lev, Linda Brewer, and Gary Stephenson of

Oregon State University. It is among the most popular techniques for gauging consumer behavior at farmers

markets.

Two weeks prior to the survey date, farmers market staff advised strategic partner organizations including

the Ocean Park Neighborhood Association, the Main Street Business Improvement Association, the

California Heritage Museum and the Victorian about the survey and asked them to notify their members

and encourage them to participate. Additionally, the survey was promoted by the City on a variety of social

media platforms and on February 13, the Santa Monica Daily Press published an article highlighting the

survey.

On February 15, five boards were displayed in the center of the Main Street Farmers Market. Board one

provided background information and context. Boards two - four posed the questions, “What would make

this market better?”, “What would entice you to purchase more farm products at this market (vegetables,

fruit, nuts, flowers, cheese, meats, eggs)?” and “Which educational activity would most motivate you to attend

this Market?” Board five provided a space for customers to leave any additional comments about the

market. At 11:00 am, the first set of boards were replaced with an identical clean second set so that all the

responses could be captured.

Throughout the duration of the market, approximately 350 customers responded to the Dot Survey boards

and approximately 200 open comments were recorded.

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Board 1: Context

Board one was intended to provide context and background information to participating customers. It

stated:

We are excited that 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Sunday Main Street Farmers Market and want

to thank you for these many years’ loyal patronage and support!!! As you may be aware, the contract for the

pony ride and petting farm operator expires in May 2015, and at the direction of City Council, staff is

exploring new educational and entertainment programing with a preference for non-animal related

activities.

As such, we want to hear from you!

Please share your observations, insights and suggestions to make this market the best Sunday Farmers

Market ever!!!

We will be collecting customer, vendor and strategic partner feedback to determine which activities would be

most appealing and appropriate for the venue. After evaluating the feedback, pilot programs will be

developed and implemented to test the best ideas.

Thank you for your feedback!

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Board 2: Question 1: What Would Make This Market Better?

Each participating customer was given 3 sticky dots and instructed to place one dot on each of the three

question boards to indicate their preference. While most customers followed the directions, some placed

more than one dot on each board. On board two, a total of 369 dots were counted. The majority (178

customers) indicated that adding more farmers to the Main Street market would make the market better.

18

18

30

44

81

178

Add Adult Education Activities

Add more Retail Vendors

Add Youth Education Activities

Add more Prepared Foods

Add more Youth Entertainment

Add more Farmers

48%

22%

12%

5% 8% 5%

Add more Farmers

Add more Youth Entertainment

Add more Prepared Foods

Add Adult Education Activities

Add Youth Education Activities

Add more Retail Vendors

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Board 3: Question 2: Which Educational Activity would Most Motivate you to

attend this Market?

On Board three, a total of 372 dots were counted. Customers strongly indicated that cooking demonstrations

and workshops would most motivate them to attend the Main Street market. Staff will keep these

preferences in mind when evaluating educational pilot program applications and likely select activities

proportionate to the preferences indicated selecting more cooking demonstrations activities than any other

activity. This will also support the feedback provided on board four regarding knowing how to prepare/cook

farm products purchased at the market.

29

45

49

51

52

146

Sustainable Living Workshops

Nutrition workshops Demos

Gardening Demos and Workshops

Urban Homesteading

Food/Agricultural Art Projects

Cooking Demos and Workshops

39%

13% 14%

8%

12%

14%

Cooking Demos and Workshops

Gardening Demos and Workshops

Food/Agricultural Art Projects

Sustainable Living Workshops

Nutrition Worships Demos

Urban Homesteading

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Board 4: Question 3: What would entice you to purchase more farm products at this market (vegetables,

fruit, nuts, flowers, cheese, meats, and eggs)?On board four, 320 dots were counted. Since this was

the last board and received the least votes, we suspect that some customers cast multiple votes on boards

two and three and did not indicate a preference on board four. Nearly 50% of customers who responded to

board four indicated a desire for a greater variety of farm product offerings at the Main Street market.

Because variety can be interpreted in several ways, farmers’ market staff will need to evaluate the existing

product mix and possibly collect additional customer feedback. It could be that customers feel there are gaps

in the overall product offerings; for example, there are no farmers at the main street market selling grains or

rice. The feedback could also be highlighting a desire for more innovation and variety within the existing

product mix, for example different varieties of oranges that are not currently offered by the existing farmers.

9

18

59

82

152

Beach Parking Lot Shuttle

An ATM Machine

Knowing How to Prepare Them

More Vendors Accepting Credit Cards

Greater Variety

47%

18%

26%

3%

6% Greater Variety

Knowing How to Prepare Them

More Vendors Accepting Credit Cards

Beach Parking Lot Shuttle

An ATM Machine

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Board 5: Open Comments

In addition to the three poster boards with specific questions, an open comments board was available for any

additional customer comments and feedback. Just over 200 open comments were received over the four and

one half hour period. More than half the open comments received were in favor of keeping the pony rides

and petting farm. We classified customer comments into five distinct categories; convenience,

entertainment, produce, music and the petting farm/ponies. A complete list of the original comments can be

found on page __ and photos of the comment boards can be found on pages ___ through ___.

154 Comments on Entertainment

114 Comments on Petting Farm/Ponies

68%

6%

13%

4% 8%

1%

Keeping Ponies and Petting Zoo

Remove the petting zoo/ponies.

Keeping the Music and Paying the

entertainers

Lose the loud music, more kids friendly

music

More alterative kids actives

Introduce new entertainment options

92%

8%

Keeping Ponies and Petting Farm

Remove the petting farm/ponies

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26 Comments on Produce

26 Comments on Music

42%

19%

8%

31% Improve variety and reduce prepared foods

Bringing back an old vendor

Complimenting a vendor

Introducing a new specific vendor

77%

23%

Keeping the Music

Lose the loud music

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18 Miscellaneous Comments

A variety of comments were received regarding market logistics, food assistance

programs, rules and regulations, and customer input which are not well suited for

graphical interpretation. These comments and the number of times they appeared are

listed in the chart below.

# Of People

Original Comment

2 Better and More Bathrooms

2 No Pets at the Farmers Market

1 EBT Matching program

1 Add a Dog sitter

2 Longer Opening Hours

1 Better Grammar on Signs

2 Better Organization

2 More Seating

1 Do surveys more often

1 Allow pets in certain areas

1 Add food market program for double coupons

1 Love the farmers market

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Original Comments

Over 200 open comments were received. While some customers choose to

write their own thoughts, others choose to affirm existing comments with a

check mark. Below is a list of the original comments and the number of

affirmation of each given comment.

# Of People

Original Comment

1 Keep the music

1 I love the music

1 I love the bike valet

7 Keep ponies and the farm animals for children

5 Keep the music - pay entertainers and get better acts

5 Bring in more vegetables and fruits and less prepared foods

3 Keep the animals and the music

3 Please Keep the Animals

2 Lose the loud music

1 Keep the music

1 No Animals

1 Keep ponies, I would go to Sat market if you did not have ponies

1 Bring back corn maidens

2 Keep Steve/Art Gluten Free Bread/Muffins Please!

1 Keep the ponies

1 Keep the ponies/petting zoo

1 Ponies

1 Keeping petting zoo & ponies

1 Keep the ponies, please!

1 Keep the ponies

1 Kids discovery activities

1 Kids maze or physical activities (rock climbing)

1 Ponies are ok with me as long as they're treated well

1 Local booth, rotating venue for local artists and offers

1 Please keep the ponies + the animals! All the children adore them - something that sets this market apart from others!

1 Please keep the petting zoo, it is an amazing learning opportunity for children and a pastime for families. So many people choose this market for that reason.

1 The music is way too loud

1 Let the animals go back to the farms

1 Something that stimulate children like music lessons instead of animals for entertainment is healthier for the community

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# Of People

Original Comment

1 EBT match program like the Pico FM would entice more people to come to this market and increase sales.

1 More "living foods" RAW vendors!

1 How about hummus vendor

2 Bring back Beverley hills juice

1 Vegan muffins and cookies

2 Teach kids to respect ponies and other living beings - do not ride or treat as creatures for human convenience

1 For many years my kids rode the ponies. We all love them! Please keep the ponies! You have one or two "squeaky wheels" making a decision for everyone. Please keep this passage for the youngest of the community.

1 More growers and more variety

1 Cooking and nutrition class

1 no music, give the locals a break

1 Please keep the ponies

1 Keep the ponies

1 Love the music

1 More baked goods

1 More produce variety

1 Please keep the ponies and petting zoo. My daughter is very attached to the ponies. And they don’t look over-worked or anything, like that. They seem just fine! Well cared for and relaxed.

1 Bring back the bread man! That was no.1 reason to come to the market for years. I don’t come so much any more. That personal support built up over many years was really important

1 Please let the ponies stay

2 Please keep the ponies.

4 Keep petting zoo and the ponies

1 Teach empathy

1 Many people won’t even come to the market if the ponies are gone. No ponies- no confined animals please

2 Keep the ponies

1 Add a dog sitter

1 Unkind to shackle ponies, don’t teach the children this kind of message

1 Bring back the massage booth

1 Keep ponies and petting zoo

1 keep the ponies

1 please keep the ponies

2 keep ponies

1 Loved the petting zoo. Friendly staff and happy animals.

1 Keep the ponies! It helps kids appreciate and care for animals.

3 Keep the ponies

1 More children friendly music

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# Of People

Original Comment

1 Keep petting zoo

4 Keep the petting zoo!

1 Junior farmers program

1 Arts and craft for the kids

1 More kids science and arts activities

7 Keep ponies

1 Better bathrooms

1 Organic prepared foods

9 Keep ponies

4 Pay the musicians and support the artists

1 Either enforce no dog rule or have no rule at all

1 More kids activities

1 Extend opening hours

2 Gluten free bread pastries

1 No electronic activity for kids if ponies go, such as Story time, Arts and craft and kids cooking

1 Kids friendly music and acts

1 The farmers market is great

1 open till 4pm.

2 Live music

5 ponies

1 Great quality of produce

1 Do surveys more often

1 Keep animals or children will suffer and be forced to go to another city

1 keep the ponies and petting zoo. We love it.

1 Time to stop making the ponies walk in circle with blinds on..

1 Love the ponies and petting zoo

1 add food market program for double coupons

36 Keep ponies and petting zoo

1 pay music act

1 More Fresh Meat and fish stalls + milk + yogurt cucumbers

1 Have the council members consult constituents before they vote on the ponies

1 More animals

1 Better grammar on the sighs: instead of we grow what we sell, we sell what we grow

1 A little close together and cramped

1 Books and cookies to replace pony ride

1 I find it redundant to have stands for merchants who already have a location on main street

1 Move the ponies to a better place, do not encourage animal cruelty

1 More bathrooms

1 Adoptable pets from animal shelter

1 allow dogs in certain areas

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# Of People

Original Comment

1 hot dog vendor

1 enlightening talks for young children

1 petting zoo and ponies need to go else where

1 need seats in the area

1 more farmers less retail

1 much more seating

1 unchain ponies

1 Free the ponies

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Board Photos

Board 1 – CONTEXT

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Board 2 – Question 1 WHAT WOULD MAKE THIS MARKET BETTER?

Board 3 – Question 2 WHICH EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY WOULD

MOST MOTIVATE YOU TO ATTEND THIS MARKET?

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Board 4 – Question 3 WHAT WOULD ENTICE YOU TO PURCHASE MORE FARM PRODUCTS AT THIS MARKET

(VEGETABLES, FRUIT, NUTS, FLOWERS, CHEESE, MEATS, AND EGGS)?

Board 5 OPEN COMMENTS

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Board 5 OPEN COMMENTS

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Board 5 OPEN COMMENTS

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Board 5 OPEN COMMENTS

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Board 5 OPEN COMMENTS