Bluefield State College - April News Releases

BSC Marketing Research Students COnduct and Analyze Customer Intercept Survey for Mercer Mall

(Bluefield)—Mercer Mall sought to gain a greater understanding of its customers, their buying habits and the types of stores customers hope will move into the shopping complex. This semester, Bluefield State College marketing students seized the opportunity to collect that information, conducting nearly 700 “customer intercept surveys” of Mercer Mall customers. After analyzing the data collected, the BSC students will develop a report that will be delivered to Mercer Mall general manager Dennis McAllister. “The project evolved from previous collaborative ventures involving our marketing students and Mercer Mall,” explained Susan Mann, visiting marketing instructor at BSC. “We talked to Mr. McAllister about the project, and were offered the opportunity to conduct the survey.”

BSC students created the survey, developed a schedule, and compiled the data base. One student entered the information into a comprehensive system for analyzing data. The remaining students in the class, along with volunteers from other marketing classes conducted surveys at the Mall over a two-week period. They developed a sampling for each day of the week and each day part.

“The information will be valuable to the Mall by providing empirical data about customer behavior—frequency of visits, amount of money spent, types of stores visited, frequency of shopping habits at businesses located elsewhere, and basic demographic information about those customers,” Mann continued.

McAllister looks forward to receiving and utilizing the report. “We will be able to see where our customer base is and, as a result, we’ll be better able to schedule our marketing effort, sales, and events,” he said. “The survey project provides good experience for the students and, at the same time, yields very useful information for us.”

“Projects like this one are often conducted by large research firms and are not typically available to students,” Mann stated. “Dennis McAllister has given our students the chance to gain an experience that will be very valuable as they graduate and begin their careers.”

April 29, 2005