With the upcoming Blatnik Bridge closure and subsequent traffic rerouting, the Superior Business Improvement District (SBID) is proactively working to help local storefronts adapt to the upcoming shifts in consumer flow.

The SBID is working with Sharan Kanugovi, a Business Analytics student at UW-Superior, who is leading a research initiative to track real-time changes in local foot traffic and customer spending. Our goal is to build predictive models that will help businesses navigate operational volatility over the next 5 years. This research will be funded as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at UW-Superior. 

We are currently working with a select group of local businesses that opted in to this project.

How it works: 

  • Participating businesses are using a simple, custom-built web application at their checkout counter to log three quick data points per transaction: the customer’s total spend, their zip code (geographic origin), and the time of purchase. The application is designed to be extremely low-friction and takes only seconds per transaction. 
  • Data is collected for a period of at least one month to help us establish a strong baseline of current consumer flow.

What participating businesses will get in return (at zero cost):

  • Complete Data Access: Businesses retain full access to all the localized data collected at their storefront during the project.
  • Customer Geography Assessment: Businesses receive a direct report breaking down exactly which ZIP codes drive the majority of your sales, providing a clear picture of where core customers live.
  • Interactive Predictive Dashboard: At the conclusion of the modeling phase, a custom dashboard will overlay gathered data with municipal traffic models, specifically highlighting the operational risks and potential revenue opportunities for the storefront on the newly modeled traffic routes.

By understanding exactly how the incoming infrastructure disruptions will physically divert consumer flow away from or toward specific storefronts, the business will be equipped to make data-driven operational decisions.

Check back here for the conclusion of the project with recommendations for marketing, potential mitigation strategies, and next phase of the project