OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR
Roland E. Smith
City Auditor

June 14, 2001

TO: President De La Fuente and Members of the City Council

SURVEY OF OAKLAND CITIZENS SHOPPING PATTERNS AND NEEDS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The City Auditor's Office conducted a survey of Oakland citizens in the spring of 2001 to assess citizen attitudes, needs and desires concerning retail shopping in the City of Oakland. The survey was developed in collaboration with the City's Community and Economic Development Agency and the Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum. Participants in the survey were selected utilizing a random sampling technique to insure demographic representation of all areas of Oakland.

The survey asked 20 questions designed to determine attitudes, preferences and aversions about where citizens' shop and the retail businesses they would like to see in Oakland. In general, the survey confirmed that Oakland citizens want greater shopping opportunities in both their neighborhoods as well as in the downtown area. This executive summary points out the highlights of the findings of the survey.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of the residents of Oakland routinely shop in their neighborhoods with the top three neighborhood establishments being:

• Grocery Stores
• Liquor Stores
• Restaurants

Sixty-two percent (62%) of the surveyed participants desire a shopping mall in Oakland with forty-one percent (41%) of them wanting this mall to be located in downtown Oakland.

Sixty-five percent (65%) of respondents want more shopping opportunities in downtown Oakland. Some of the types of stores citizens would like include:

The top seven businesses participants would like to see more of in Oakland are:

Department Stores:

• Macy's (73%)
• Mervyn's (62%)
• Nordstrom (59%)

Other Stores:

• Trader Joe's (59%)
• Target (59%)
• Walgreen Drug Store (59%)
• Farmer Markets (61%)
  

ADDITIONAL ISSUES

Forty-seven percent (47%) of surveyed citizens responded that they believed that Oakland should not increase the number of liquor stores.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of surveyed citizens responded that they found out about shopping opportunities through newspaper advertising.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of surveyed citizens responded that they consider parking when deciding where to shop and forty-four percent (44%) responded that they have driven away from a retail establishment in Oakland solely because of an inability to park.

Sixty percent (60%) of the surveyed citizens responded that they were aware that the sales tax correlates positively with social service availability in the City of Oakland.

NOTE:

For additional Statistical Charts and Graphs and further documentation that provides the basis for the information contained in this report, please contact the Office of the City Auditor at (510) 238-3378.