According to a recently completed study, the Abbotsford Farm and Country Market is a big economic generator and has an annual impact of over $1 million to the local economy.
The BC Association of Farmers’ Markets in collaboration with the University of Northern British Columbia researched the impacts of local farm markets across the province last year.
Their findings were released earlier this month and examined the AFCM on Aug. 12, 2023. Data from that day was then extrapolated over the entire year.
The AFCM typically runs from May to October on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Jubilee Park in downtown Abbotsford. About 40 vendors offer items every week.
Research was completed through interactive dot surveys, crowd counts and one-on-one interviews with both market shoppers and nearby businesses.
Some of the highlights from the Abbotsford study included:
- Annual economic impact on the local economy: $1.05 million
- Annual direct sales: $699,000
- Average shopper spending per market visit: $40.54
- Over 22,900 visits and 17,200 shoppers annually
- Three per cent of study participants self-identified as tourists or day-trippers
- 58 per cent of the survey respondents visit the farmers market either regularly (almost weekly) or frequently (two to three times per month)
- Shopper spending at other local neighbouring businesses: $403,900
- 56 per cent of study participants said that they would spend $23.43 each shopping or eating at other local neighbouring businesses
The first hour of the market was the busiest, with the study noting that crowd counts dropped from 462 in hour one to 276 in hour three during observation on Aug. 12. Abbotsford averaged 299 shoppers per hour, which is below the B.C. average of 377. The Ladner Village Market was tops in the province at 1,206.
The $40.54 per shopper in Abbotsford is slightly below the provincial average of $42.50. The AFCM was above the provincial average in those who identify as regular or frequent shoppers, with 58 per cent of all surveyed identifying in one of those two categories. Abbotsford was below average for first-time visitors.
The majority of those surveyed in Abbotsford were 51 years old and above, with 56.1 per cent in either the 51 to 65 or 66-plus age brackets. Only 1.4 per cent of all surveyed were 20 or younger.
Abbotsford shoppers overwhelmingly believed that farmers markets provided good value, with 84 per cent either agreeing or strongly agreeing with that statement.
Most neighbouring businesses surveyed (86 per cent) stated that the market has a positive effect on their business.
The overall results from the 70 markets researched in B.C. found that there was an economic impact of $232.9 million, which was a 28 per cent increase from 2012. Markets saw 4.95 million visits and 3.7 million shoppers in 2023. Neighbouring businesses saw spending of $118.51 million, which is a growth of 61 per cent from 2012.
“This project builds upon the success of our previous studies in 2006 and 2012. We were able to compare our results with these past studies to gain new insights about the growing measurable impacts of farmers’ markets to our provincial economy,” explained Dr. David Connell, Professor of Ecosystem Science and Management at UNBC and lead researcher of the 2023 BC Farmers’ Market Economic Impact Study.
The AFCM returns locally on May 4 and runs until Oct. 26.
For more details on the study in Abbotsford, visit bcfarmersmarket.org/app/uploads/2024/02/BCAFM_23_Final_Abbotsford-Farm-Country.pdf.