RW will survey local businesses and the public

May 28, 2024  |  By Revitalizing Waterbury

Waterbury Center in springtime. Photo by Gordon Miller.

In the coming weeks, Revitalizing Waterbury will conduct two surveys to gather insights from Waterbury’s businesses and the public regarding shopping habits and local retail.

The first survey aims to collect information from businesses about their successes and current challenges. While Revitalizing Waterbury has long focused on the downtown business community, this survey will expand its scope to the Route 100 North corridor. Including Waterbury Center businesses in this survey is a key step toward understanding more about these retailers, service providers, and other companies in our community.

With clipboards in hand, RW staff and volunteers will conduct a second survey to capture consumer opinions on shopping in Waterbury. The eight-question survey asks individuals about their shopping patterns and the types of new businesses they would like to see in town. The community can also complete this survey online.

These surveys aim to not just collect data, but to establish a baseline understanding of our town’s strengths, needs, and growth potential. From infrastructure improvements to marketing assistance, each response offers valuable insights into Waterbury’s economic and business conditions. RW’s Board of Directors recognized the need to understand Waterbury’s business climate in its 2024 Strategic Plan to better support businesses and advance the organization’s economic and community development goals, programs, and initiatives.

This effort will be completed by June 15 and the aggregated survey results will be shared with the Vermont Designated Downtown program and the Waterbury Select Board and it will be posted on the RevitalizingWaterbury.org website.

Community members can get involved by completing the consumer survey online or by chatting with an RW volunteer at Shaw’s or the Village Market on June 1-2 or at the June 6 Waterbury Farmers Market. Participation is appreciated and will help guide the future of Waterbury’s business community. 

Revitalizing Waterbury is Waterbury’s nonprofit economic and community development organization.