More results from the 100 Mile House Economic Development Survey have been released, showing nearly half of residents are spending a lot of money outside of 100 Mile House.
43% of survey respondents said they shop elsewhere at least once a month. 72% of those shoppers go to Williams Lake or Kamloops, and 65% shop online. When shopping out of town, the most purchased products are entertainment (41%), household products (38%), and business supplies (27%).
The survey results also show that 61% of respondents are spending more than $150 per month out of town or online. Director of Economic Development and Planning Joanne Doddridge says that adds up to a loss of over $37,000 a month for local businesses. “As only 37% claimed to spend at least 51% – 75% of their shopping dollars in town, we feel there are potential opportunities for local businesses to recapture local spending,” Doddridge says.
According to the survey, there were two main reasons for shopping outside of 100 Mile House. 85% said the product or service was not available in town, followed by products being too expensive. 58% of respondents say COVID-19 has temporarily changed their shopping habits.
414 residents of 100 Mile House and the surrounding area responded to the survey in December and January.