Washington Properties has released the results of a Washington Mall User and Traffic Study.In a statement released today, Mr. Paul Slaughter, general manager of Washington Properties (Bermuda) Ltd. said: “Most residents are aware of the pressure that is on Bermuda’s retailers due to the continuing recessionary climate.“As a result, we commissioned Total Research Associates Limited, to conduct a study with Washington Mall customers to determine what we may be able to do to help drive business to local retailers by better understanding their needs and wants in an increasingly competitive local and overseas marketplace.”“The results of this study clearly show that there are a number of opportunities to increase customer traffic to the stores and restaurants in the Washington Mall. We will be looking at these opportunities very closely and hope to be able to launch some exciting new initiatives shortly.”Graham Redford, president and CEO of Total Research Associates, shared some of the key findings: “Overall, 96% of Washington Mall shoppers are repeat customers and 77% visit the Mall weekly. The overall opinion of the Washington Mall is highly favourable with nearly six in ten shoppers rating the Mall as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’. An additional four in ten shoppers have a ‘fairly good’ opinion of the Mall and only two percent expressed a ‘fairly poor’ or ‘very poor’ opinion of the Mall. Shoppers 55 years of age and older, females and local residents are more likely to hold strong positive opinions of the Washington Mall.”Mr. Redford continued: “Shoppers were asked to identify (unaided) key factors they liked about the Washington Mall. Across demographics, the three factors most commonly mentioned by shoppers are its convenient location, cleanliness, and selection of places to eat and drink. Indeed, nearly four in ten shoppers recognise the Mall’s location as a positive, while over one-third of shoppers reference the fact that the Mall is clean and tidy. Shoppers also noted the Mall’s nice atmosphere, proximity to parking and nice washrooms.”“When asked their likelihood of visiting the Mall during the planned extended hours on Wednesday for Harbour Nights, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed say they would either definitely or probably visit the Mall during this time. To apply a more realistic measure of actual conversion behaviour, an 80/20 rule was applied, whereby 80% of those reporting a “definite” intention are predicted to actually do so, while only 20% of those with a “probable” intention are predicted to actually do so. On the basis of this 80/20 rule, there is an expectation that 30% of Mall shoppers would visit the Mall during Wednesday evenings for Harbour nights.”“Likelihood of visiting the Mall for Harbour Nights was higher among females, shoppers between the ages of 25 and 34, and weekly shoppers. As expected, local residents were more likely to express an intention of visiting the Mall during these extended hours. Residents of Warwick and Paget are also more likely to express an intention to go to the Mall during Harbour Nights.”Mr. Slaughter added “One of the interesting facts found was that 76% of Washington Mall Users would like to see more retail businesses open on Sunday. And of those 76% who would like to see more retail businesses open on Sunday, 86% would definitely / probably visit the Washington Mall on a Sunday. We recognise that Sunday opening is a contentious issue but one that we feel merits further discussion with Government, the Chamber of Commerce and other vested parties.”Paula Clarke, who in addition to her position as Chief Executive Officer at Gibbons Company, is also chairman of the retail division of the Chamber of Commerce said: “These results speak to what we (as the Chamber) have been saying for some time now which is that the Public Holiday Act 1947 needs revision. Currently, retailers with floor space of 2500 square feet or above are restricted to opening between 1pm and 6pm on any public holiday, except for Christmas Day and Good Friday.”Ms. Joanne MacPhee, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce stated: “The Chamber is advocating for two precise changes to the Act: 1) Sunday should not be deemed by law to be a Public Holiday, and 2) that no business should be restricted from trading based on the size of their premises. We need to offer a level of service which exists anywhere else in the world — you expect to shop seven days a week. We’ve reached a point in retail where we need Bermuda to be competitive and relevant in today’s retail industry.”Mr. Slaughter concluded by saying: “The Washington Mall is one of Bermuda’s premier retail complexes with retail outlets that cater to both residents and tourists. With Washington Mall and our tenants operating in an increasingly competitive environment, specifically within the retail sector, it is important for us to understand what factors drive customer satisfaction. Opening days and hours are a primary driver of satisfaction and if we, working alongside our valued tenants, can offer shopping hours that are more convenient to our customers, then it is likely that this increased convenience will lead to increased sales activity, which is something that Bermuda needs right now.”* The sample for this study was completed intercept (face-to-face) interviews with a random sample of 300 shoppers (adults 18 years of age and older) who were exiting the Washington Mall. The survey was conducted in person between May 6 and 17, 2013 by Total Research Associates. All interviewing was conducted by fully trained and supervised interviewers. Interviewers were carefully briefed on the survey instrument, as well as on respondent selection and interview techniques for this study. Interviewing took place throughout the Mall, at various times and locations, to ensure a wide range of consumers were included in the sample. Interviewers were distributed proportionally within the Mall to reflect the traffic patterns of the Mall.