What do Haverford residents want out of their local economy? A new survey says multi-vendor markets and walkability.

Lorianne Moore always wanted to run her own business.

Two years ago, after decades in the corporate world, Moore began to think about opening a storefront in her home community of Havertown. She and her husband, Joe Singer, kicked around the idea of a coffee shop or gift store, something people were really “looking for,” Singer said.

When Moore brought her small-business dreams to Jeanne Angell, executive director of Discover Haverford, the township’s economic development organization, Angell said she knew exactly what Havertown needed.

Consumer data collected by Discover Haverford at the time had found that residents’ number one desire for the community was a local bookstore.

Moore, a “voracious reader,” figured her “love of reading and her passion for that would align awesomely with what the town was looking for,” Singer said. Moore Books opened in September 2024 and has since become a hub for readers, writers, and shoppers in one of Havertown’s core commercial neighborhoods.

“I don’t know if we would have landed on bookstore without Discover Haverford, but once [Moore] started talking with them, it just made sense,” said Singer, who’s now the bookstore’s manager and events coordinator.

The data that guided the opening of Moore Books was part of Discover Haverford’s biannual consumer surveys, which poll residents on the state of the local economy and help provide a framework for recruiting businesses to town, a partnership Angell said is exemplified in Moore Books’ story. Understanding what consumers want, Angell said, gives proprietors important information as they consider opening a brick-and-mortar business, a venture that can be economically risky, especially for small-business owners.

Discover Haverford’s newest survey, published in July, has given officials a fresh round of data regarding consumers’ vision for the community’s future. So what do Haverford Township residents want most? Recent data points toward a desire for family-friendly businesses, communal spaces, and a revitalized streetscape.

Discover Haverford conducted its biannual consumer survey in July, gathering data from 601 respondents about what types of businesses they’d like to see and how they feel Haverford’s commercial experience can be improved.

When it came to grocery and retail options, nearly 60% of respondents expressed a desire for a multi-vendor marketplace, and nearly 80% said they’d like to see an indoor farmers market.

On restaurants, 71% were interested in a bakery, 67% in a family restaurant, 63% in a Greek restaurant, and 57% in a BYOB restaurant.

When it comes to non-retail businesses, respondents also showed an interest in movie theaters, concert venues, and day spas.

Angell said she’s long heard residents ask for a multi-vendor market, a desire that falls in line with the growing appetite for “third spaces,” or communal places to socialize that aren’t work or home.

“I think people do need that, a place to feel that community,” Angell said.

She noted, however, that a multi-vendor market is “a very difficult thing to recruit for,” requiring a large space and considerable funding. A local movie theater is another feat Angell said is difficult to pull off due to space constraints.

How else should Haverford create a more vibrant business community?

Numerous respondents raised concerns over traffic safety. Some said the township needs more walkable town centers, safe bike lanes, and pedestrian crossings.

Some said parking inconveniences and costs deter them from shopping in Haverford, while others said older storefront facades need to be revitalized to beautify the township’s commercial strips.

The full Community Survey Report, designed to help guide future business decisions, can be read here.

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