A large portion of those choosing a rural setting live in an outlying town. Again, these results show a discrepancy between Vermonters values and the choices they make. When Choosing a Residence Shopping Patterns Shopping behavior was explored with a series of questions about where respondents shopped and why. Among the reasons given for shopping at malls is the large variety of items in one location. Respondents say that these stores offer lower prices and large selections.
Respondents are very supportive of downtowns and town centers as places to shop.
However, it is clear that accessibility, or proximity, to these locations is a major reason for people shopping there. Malls, shopping centers and big box stores are still in fewer locations in Vermont. It is interesting that respondents did not identify lack of parking in downtowns as a major reason to shop at malls and shopping centers. Accessibility or proximity, a large variety of items in one location and offering lower prices are important to shoppers. The percentage of respondents who shopped most frequently in a downtown or town center was fairly uniform across age, gender and income.