Spatial Analytics Consulting

There is a geographic dimension to virtually every marketing problem

Spatial Analytic Consulting

Geographical analytics provides an understanding of the relationship among geographic variables, economic forces, marketing factors, and business success.

There is a geographic, or spatial dimension, to virtually all business and marketing activities. In the hands of talented analysts, Geographical Analytics and GIS (Geographical Information Systems) can help companies:

  • Improve advertising media mix and media targeting.
  • Optimize distribution systems (How many distribution centers? Dealers? In what locations?).
  • Evaluate and optimize the performance of sales organizations? Who is underperforming? Who is overperforming? What are optimal sales quotas?
  • Model and analyze brand performance down to the Census Block Group (CBG).
  • Guide direct marketing campaigns down to the CBG level.
  • Determine optimal locations for new retail stores, restaurants, banks, schools, or medical facilities, etc.
  • Optimize the number of retail units for a given geographic area to maximize sales and/or profits.
  • Plot market potential for a new product or brand down to the CBG level.
  • Predict the type and mix of retail entities to maximize sales revenue for a given shopping center or mall.
  • Understand the geodemographic and economic variables driving growth of a particular industry, category, brand, or retail entity.
  • Optimize the locations of parks, city services, libraries, and the delivery of governmental services.

Spatial Analytics integrates:

Technology—Decision Analyst utilizes state of the art Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that merges computer mapping software with our proprietary database capabilities. This allows for spatial relationships, patterns, and trends in data to be visualized through various layers of geographic variables.

Analytics—Decision Analyst applies proven research and analytical methods that examine both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the locational issue under consideration. Our capabilities include choice modeling, optimization techniques, and market segmentation analyses, plus analog, regression, and retail store gravity modeling. Our capabilities include analog analytics, as well as statistical gravity models to predict the impact of retail agglomeration and customer proximity on location. Marketing effects are incorporated using choice modeling, optimization techniques, market segmentation, and simulation.

Research—Survey-based information, plus focus groups and depth interviews, are combined with syndicated and secondary data to bring powerful new information to traditional retail and shopping center analyses.

Experience—The Advanced Analytics Team has over 45 years of experience in real estate research and analysis across a wide variety of retail, residential, commercial office, and mixed-use development projects. We offer a valuable “real world” perspective gained from field work in over 150 metropolitan areas, including the 20 largest in the United States.

Decision Analyst “Difference”

We think of retail trade areas as complex and evolving ecosystems, instead of simple and static “distance rings” around a location. We examine in detail the underlying trade area dynamics that shift and influence store and shopping center performance, including:

  • Population and household growth patterns.
  • Demographic characteristics.
  • Topographic features and road patterns.
  • Economic activity.
  • Commuting patterns.
  • Competitive forces.
  • Sister store positioning/sales cannibalization.
  • Household spending patterns.
  • Marketing variables such as pricing, positioning, and advertising.

We view Spatial Analytics as not only applicable to new development activity, but to existing projects under consideration for acquisition, expansion, or redevelopment. It is not only applicable for retail projects, but also for office, residential, Hotel, and mixed-used development.

Who Could Benefit from Spatial Analytics?

The services provided by the Advanced Analytics Team help and facilitate decision-making across an array of different groups

  • Shopping Center Owners
  • Leasing & Marketing Teams
  • Brokers and Tenant Reps
  • Retailers
  • Restaurants
  • Developers
  • Lending Institutions
  • Private Equity Firms
  • Investment Firms
  • Municipal, County, and State Governments
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Economic Development entities

Advanced Analytic Services

Provided below are links to descriptions of the types of analyses Decision Analyst commonly conducts.

Custom Marketing Research

Real estate research information needs are often unique and require an analysis tailored to your specific business and marketing issues. Based on thorough discussions and brainstorming with the client, Decision Analyst can design a custom research study to meet your specific market information needs. Such analyses might include:

Why Decision Analyst?

Decision Analyst is a leading international marketing research and analytical consulting firm with over 3 decades of experience in state-of-the-art Geographical Analytics and Spatial Intelligence. A team of Ph.D.’s help clients optimize decision-making through Geographical Analytics and Advanced Analytics services.

Advanced Analytic Consulting

Decision Analyst’s strengths in statistics and mathematics, simulation, modeling, and optimization provide the analytical horsepower to address complex business and strategy problems. If you have Advanced Analytics questions you would like to discuss, please contact Elizabeth Horn, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Advanced Analytics (ehorn@decisionanalyst.com) or Jerry W. Thomas, Chief Executive Officer (jthomas@decisionanalyst.com) via email or call 1-800-ANALYSIS (262-5974) or 1-817-640-6166.