What are trade areas and how are they calculated?

In an IdealSpot report, a trade area is a region from which we pull data. We offer a variety of options for what method we use to draw these trade areas:

  • Buffers - are circles around the address and are measured as a radius from the point.
  • Drive time - are polygons drawn along roads and are measured as the area someone can drive to within the specified time.
  • Walk time - are polygons drawn along pedestrian pathways are measured as the area someone can walk to within the specified time.
  • Bike time - are polygons drawn along roads and bike paths are measured as the area someone can bike to within the specified time.
  • Transit time - are polygons drawn along public transportation routes are measured as the area someone can travel to within the specified time using public transit.