What we heard

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to answer our survey or speak with our staff earlier this year. Through the results we saw, it’s clear that the market is at an exciting moment as the neighborhood around it changes and grows.

This growth can most notably be seen in our visitors, of which over 30% have only started visiting the market since 2020. We can also see how our visitors span the breadth of Kitchener’s overall community, with a wide range of ages, ethnicities and cultures. Over 16 languages are spoken amongst our weekly shoppers. We also serve an even split of people from all income levels.

We also learned that 60% of our visitors live in or near the downtown. Their transit patterns have followed the wider shift seen in densifying downtown cores such as ours, with 46% of shoppers now walking, cycling or taking transit to the market. This a trend we expect to see grow as more new neighbors move into our growing downtown neighborhoods.

Plus, 60% of our respondents attend at least twice a month, with half of those visiting every week - rain or shine - as this is their primary destination for groceries.

Uniting all our visitors regardless of demographic were core themes including:

• The importance of affordability and ensuring that the vendor mix provides for everyone
• Being able to buy high quality groceries affordably from local producers
• Visitors also use the market as a space for socialization and community (examples: spending time with loved ones, taking part in events and classes, enjoying a lunch or coffee on the piazza, and more.

While we heard that many residents already take advantage of the market space for shopping, many of your comments focused on the other ways this community space could be used. Whether on Saturday or throughout the week, your suggestions for future programming included:

• Concerts
• Shows
• Outdoor fitness
• Community gardening
• A relaxing space for downtown dwellers without a green space of their own
• And much, much more

Our goal is to use your comments to inform our ongoing program planning and long-term market strategy. We will also continue to collect and monitor your feedback over the coming years. We want to ensure that as our neighborhood continues to grow, change and thrive, that we are making sure the Kitchener Market is providing the right space and programs to best support this growth.

We hope you will continue to reach out anytime with your comments, suggestions and feedback. Contact Cameron Dale, Kitchener Market Manager, at cameron.dale@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2200 x 5223