The Market for Commercial Development in Lansdowne
Definition of the Market Area
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The first step in any market study is to define the market area. Market areas are usually made up of contiguous geographic units with somewhat similar demographic characteristics. Early in the study, interviews were held with several Board members of the LEDC to find out where they felt the majority of Lansdowne shoppers originated. They agreed that the majority of Lansdowne shoppers were Lansdowne residents. In addition, the consumer survey proved invaluable on this point. Of the 360 respondents, 188, or 52%, specifically said that they lived in Lansdowne. They also stated the zip codes in which they resided. Those zip codes, the municipalities included in them, and the number of respondents who either live or work in them, are:
| Zip Code | Municipalities | Live | Work | % Live | % Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19050 | Lansdowne, East Lansdowne, Yeadon, Upper Darby (part) |
196 | 91 | 54% | 25% |
| 19026 | Upper Darby (Drexel Hill section) | 49 | 8 | 14% | 2% |
| 19082 | Upper Darby (part) | 19 | 13 | 5% | 4% |
| 19018 | Clifton Heights | 8 | 5 | 2% | 1% |
| Other | Outside Primary & Secondary Market Area | 88 | 243 | 25% | 68% |
| Total | 360 | 360 | |||
Of the 360 total respondents, 272, or 75%, named the zip codes within the primary and secondary market areas as their zip code of residence, and 117, or 32% named those zip codes as the ones in which they work. As shown above, zip code 19050 includes Lansdowne, East Lansdowne, Yeadon, and part of Upper Darby. Over half of the respondents lived in 19050, and 25% worked in it. The area of Upper Darby in and around Drexel Hill had 49 residents and eight workers (14% and 2% respectively), and the remainder of Upper Darby and Clifton Heights accounted for 27 residents and 18 workers (7% and 5% respectively). The remaining 88 respondents who named the zip code of residence and 243 workers who named the zip code of employment were divided among 34 zip codes of residence and 67 zip codes of employment.
Based upon interviews with Board members of the LEDC and the results of the shopper/consumer survey conducted by it, and upon the criteria of distance, we believe that the primary market area for shopping in Lansdowne is the Borough itself, and that the secondary market area is composed of the adjacent boroughs of East Lansdowne, Upper Darby, Millbourne Borough, Yeadon, and Clifton Heights. There are also several places of employment in Lansdowne, and their employees make up part of the daytime marketplace. Finally, there are several destination businesses in Lansdowne whose customer base extends far beyond the primary and secondary market area, including Todaro’s Music Store, Faden’s Jewelers, the Emas Pet Hospital, and Before Our Time Antiques.