PORT ANGELES — A trove of data on consumers will soon be available to Port Angeles businesses.
The city of Port Angeles will debut a new program in the next couple of weeks that will allow business owners to tap into the purchasing habits of households from Forks to Port Townsend.
Identifies consumers’ buys
The program, known as Scout, identifies what consumers, based on demographics, interests and even political beliefs, are likely to buy.
The data also include what consumers are buying offline and outside Port Angeles.
Business owners will have free access to the information through the city.
The service is offered by Buxton, which buys and analyzes information on consumer habits.
“It’s really a matter of providing household insights,” Lisa Hill, Buxton’s community ID division vice president, told about 50 people attending an informational meeting Tuesday at City Hall.
Hill said Buxton acquires the information by purchasing personal information provided by grocery reward cards, magazine subscriptions, warranty cards, utility bills and vehicle lease and purchase agreements.
The company is able to gather data on every household within market regions, which for the Port Angeles study encompasses areas within a seven-minute drive and an hour’s drive from downtown.
‘Big Brother’?
“People have tended to call it ‘Big Brother,’” Hill acknowledged.
“That kind of information that we are constantly giving away from ourselves is absolutely available, and we buy that information so that we can better understand consumers,” she later added.
Buxton does not release personal or household information, Hill said.
Individuals are lumped into categories such as “urban commuters,” which includes people who work white-collar jobs; they tend to be conservative and are loyal to brands.
They make up 13 percent of the consumer base in the Port Angeles area.
The city paid $35,000 for the study and a one-year subscription to Scout.
An intern from Peninsula College who will have access to the program will offer customized reports for businesses.
City Manager Kent Myers said the contract with the college has not been finalized, but he expects the information to be available in the next few weeks.
Pay for subscriptions
Business owners can purchase their own subscription from Buxton for $250 a month, Hill said.
That will allow them to tap into the database on their own.
Some attending Tuesday’s meeting commented that they think it will be a great tool for local business owners.
“I see it as a huge boon for my clients, who are all businesspeople,” said Laurel Black, a graphic designer.
Kevin Holden, a marketer, was a little hesitant to embrace the program.
“It will help, but it’s not the do-all, end-all,” he said.
Hill said Buxton’s service, which has been provided to more than 650 communities, is not intended to be a “silver bullet.”
“But this may move the needle, and that’s what we’re looking for,” she said.
For more information, phone City Assistant Planner Roberta Korcz at 360-417-4804.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
