The West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Laurentian University to complete a Leakage Analysis and Market Feasibility Study. The objectives of this research are to examine how local business owners and institutions, as well as local consumers, make purchase decisions. In particular, we are interested in finding in what proportions they purchase products and services within the region of West Nipissing and outside the region. Students enrolled in the Honours Bachelor of Commerce program will be conducting interviews with local business owners for the purpose of this study and as part of their coursework at Laurentian University.

Key objectives of this study include:

1.    Determine areas of retail and business services leakage within the community;

2.    Determine if existing businesses located within West Nipissing are capturing the full retail sales potential of those who shop and live there;

3.    Identify specific industry sub-sectors that are most likely to succeed within the West Nipissing local market;

4.    Identify feasible niche markets for West Nipissing;

The West Nipissing Chamber of Commerce encourages you to participate in the Leakage Analysis and Market Feasibility Study, if contacted. As an incentive for completing interviews with the students and providing your input, the Chamber will be giving away 5 gift cards, valued at $100 each. Chosen by random draw, the gift cards are for the following businesses:

Canadian Tire

Stereo Plus

Tribune

Le Loup 97.1 FM - La voix du nord

Foodland

The importance and benefits of this study will be to identify potentially profitable retail sector activities. It may also reveal some of the current barriers that existing businesses have been facing when looking at possibilities of diversification and expansion. Once the study is complete, the findings will be shared with the community at large, local business owners, as well as local high schools promoting and informing them of entrepreneurial possibility in West Nipissing.