By Debbie Hall and Cory L. Higgs
Patrick County residents were ready to visit hair salons or barber shops and return to retail stores as soon as pandemic restrictions were eased, according to the results of a Consumer Confidence Survey.
Conducted by the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, the survey polled Patrick residents to help regional businesses gauge community interest and comfort levels for reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Responses were gathered a week before Gov. Ralph Northam announced Executive Order 63 – the order regarding wearing face masks in businesses and public spaces.
Results were released by the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, which also provided a brief overview for the county’s specific results.
Rebecca Adcock, executive director of the chamber, said that data collected during the poll could help businesses assure customers of their safety by addressing their patrons concerns, allowing them to focus more on certain areas.
“The face covering (executive order) happened in the middle of this survey gathering, as well as the increase in cases being reported” in Patrick County and surrounding areas. “I am sure the results would be different if we polled now,” she said.
“I hope the information is useful to those who organize events in our community,” Adcock said. “I see having events as a huge math equation with several unknown variables. Hopefully this information can be a fixed variable to help them in determining what events could and should happen.”
Adcock estimated that one percent of Patrick County residents participated in the poll, and added that the data must be taken with a grain of salt.
While respondents are more comfortable with outdoor events, there was not a huge difference between level of comfort in large indoor events (trade shows, galas) and outdoor events, she noted.
The number of patrons inside businesses or restaurants is important, according to Adcock. She added that people eager to get out and shop, with personal grooming topping the list.
Respondents are less likely to visit museums and are less comfortable attending indoor larger events, movie theaters, or bowling alleys.
Participants indicated they will continue to occasionally shop online, across all sections: major retail (Amazon) local chains (Walmart, Tractor Supply) small businesses and restaurants, she said.
Results will be tabulated in with other counties and cities in Southern Virginia, Adcock said.
Among the 15 questions included in the survey was: “Once the stay at home order is lifted, how long will one wait before feeling comfortable going into the following places?”
Survey participants indicated they wanted a haircut and to visit retail shops, and that they would start as soon as restrictions were eased.
A little more than 50 percent of the respondents (53.3 percent) said they would like for curbside service to continue until the spread of COVID-19 is under control, and 32.2 percent would like to see curbside options continue on a permanent basis.
Additional costs will be incurred for the added public safety measures that are mandated to businesses (for instance, increased cleaning, masks, and limit of patrons), but more than 77 percent of the respondents said they “might be” “or were” willing to pay more for goods and services in a business that implements increased safety precautions.
According to the results, 74.1 percent of respondents said that the increase for those goods or services should not exceed more than 5 percent.
Limits on the number of dine-in customers and the number of patrons was preferred for both restaurants, with 63.3 percent in favor, as well as retail and non-restaurant businesses, with 67.8 percent of those completing the survey.
The method of paying for purchases using a type of touch free payment option was not important with 56.7 percent of respondents, who said they were neutral to the no-touch method; 12.2 percent said it was not important and 31.1 percent determined it is important.
Employees sanitizing common touch surfaces emerged as the number one factor to ensure consumer comfort level in going into a business, from among other factors such as confidence with business owners, employees wearing masks or gloves, employees sanitizing common touch services, hand sanitizer for patrons, number of patrons inside of a business, plexiglass barriers or the type of business.
This option also received the highest response for health practices that businesses are doing to make patrons more comfortable.
Other questions and results from the survey are:
“Which of these factors would influence your comfort level to go into a business,” with choices that included plexiglass barriers, employees wearing masks or gloves, sanitizing common surfaces, and requirement of patrons to wear a mask.
The option of the businesses’ practice of sanitizing common touch areas was most strongly agreed upon for customers to feel comfortable going into a business. The second highest option was the customer’s confidence with business owners.
The size and type of business did not play a factor in comfort level, however, sanitizing and employees wearing masks were the two public health factors that patrons indicated would make them feel the most comfortable.
According to the data, and in the coming months, Patrick County residents are not at all comfortable attending large indoor events such as galas, trade shows, music concerts, fundraisers, or indoor events such as movie theaters or bowling alleys, but are somewhat comfortable attending outdoor festivals. When thinking about their online shopping habits (pre-COVID-19) and how that will transition to post-COVID online shopping, the majority of the respondents said they will occasionally shop online across all four platforms of major retailers, locally owned retail, major chains, or locally owned restaurants with e-commerce.
The majority of respondents, 63.3 percent, indicated they would rather support small businesses, and 52.2 percent stated they intend to support small businesses (retail and dining) more during this time. Respondents varied in their concern for the economy, with 48.9 percent very concerned and 41.1 percent somewhat concerned, according to the survey.
