Residents of all backgrounds and ages were polled to find out their preferences for Main Street
July 17, 2023
HACKENSACK, NJ — The Main Street Business Alliance (MSBA) released its first Hackensack Trend Report, which shows what residents are looking for on Main Street. The report is broken down by age, gender and years lived in Hackensack. The data comes from a detailed survey sent to residents of Hackensack through the MSBA, in partnership with the Johnson Public Library and the Hackensack Regional Chamber of Commerce. 1,400 people filled out the survey.
“Today’s report demonstrates the significant progress we’ve made to gather and evaluate information from residents of Hackensack about what they want to see on Main Street,” said MSBA Executive Director, John T. Peters. “Working together with our partners at the Johnson Public Library and the Hackensack Chamber of Commerce, we designed a survey that would generate data across multiple segments of residents. This then enables us to find out what people truly wanted to see on Main Street concerning food, retail, and entertainment. The City has done a wonderful job bringing thousands of new residents and new life into Hackensack. Now, we need to bring even more vibrancy by securing more of what people are looking for on Main Street. This includes new restaurants, new merchants, new entertainment, and new retail. We’re first using this data to help determine who is next to approach from the retail and restaurant view. On top of that, we collected some wonderfully informative data about how residents want to continue to use the award-winning Johnson Public Library.”
Key highlights of the report:
- 18% of respondents visit Main Street daily, 53% weekly, 18% monthly.
- 61% of respondents want to see more ethnic food restaurants. 45% want more bars / pubs. 56% want to see more coffee/pastry options.
- 41% have a dog or cat, with 19-29-year-old respondents representing the largest age group of pet owners at 61%.
- 60% of respondents would like Main Street to have some sort of comedy club.
- 86% of respondents want to see Main Street establishments stay open late (9pm).
- 70% of respondents prefer to attend events on weekends.
“This trend report and the related data analysis project is incredibly informative. We’ve never had such a detailed analysis of resident preference data. So, we’re all excited to see what’s next,” said Edward Decker, the Chairman of the MSBA.
“Property and business owners and operators will find this report extremely useful,” commented Jerry Lombardo, owner of CJ Lombardo Company and former Chairman of the MSBA. “The intrinsic value of a report like this has never been higher as we now have thousands of new residents who are looking to Main Street for eateries, services, retail shopping, and entertainment.
“This data, and analysis provides insight to the business community and helps us provide better services to the Hackensack residents. The survey information validates the positive trends and growth we see in North Jersey,” said Charles Muldoon, President of JP Management.
Methodology
The Main Street Business Alliance collaborated with Hathaway and Lane – a data analysis firm, the Johnson Public Library, and the Hackensack Regional Chamber of Commerce to build the survey, compile and analyze the data, and build the report. The data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed for accuracy as it may not reflect all the residents in the area.
About the Main Street Business Alliance
The Main Street Business Alliance is a public/private partnership formed as an alliance between the business community and the city of Hackensack. So, its mission is to address the issues facing the business community with the goal of improving the local economy and the overall business climate in Hackensack. The MSBA’s programs and services are underwritten by a special assessment collected from property owners. These fees are then billed and collected by the city of Hackensack. Then, they are turned over to the Alliance to deliver services like Clean & Green programs to maintain the cleanliness of Main Street, maintenance of the trees and plant beds, Visual Improvement Programs, the Facades and Signage grant program, retention and recruitment of businesses, vehicle and pedestrian circulation/parking, and marketing and public relations.
The SID (Special Improvement District) extends along Main Street from Clinton Place to Sussex Street. There are 160 commercial properties and more than 375 businesses within the district. The MSBA is governed by an 12-member board of directors. These Directors are elected by the members of the district, along with liaisons from the Chamber of Commerce, Johnson Public Library, and City Council.
Available Documents