Small Area Retail Trade Estimates

Question

On 24 May 2007 an update was sent to explain the absence of newer versions of SARTRE:

"The 2004 and 2005 data has not been processed at this time for lack of funding. SARTRE is a cost-recovery program and the division is currently looking for users that would be willing to finance ($40,000 for two years) this project on a long-term basis. They plan to provide us with updates as developments occur in their search for long term funding for SARTRE. "

Is there any news on this product? UBC researchers are interested in finding out.

Answer

The division used to produce a series of custom tables for outside clients and DLI were contributing in the production of these tables. Unfortunately, outside clients decided they did not need these tables anymore and the cost of continuing to buy these data by DLI alone was too expensive. Since this program is fully cost-recovery, the division did try to find other potential users for this information in order to spread the costs but were not successful. This is why they had sent that annoncement in 2007. DLI was contributing $5000.00 a year for these tables. Since then, no other potential users were identified so this is why we were not able to get any other updates.

Follow-up Question

And here I had understood that the DLI subscription fees are no longer
being used to buy data products from other STC departments?!?
Presumably a misunderstanding on my part.

Follow-up Answer
This is the case now. The Distributive Trade Division stopped producing the SARTRE data in 2007 and Census and Income Division agreed that we stopped transfering money towards the data last fiscal year. Since April 2008, DLI is no longer transfering money to Divisions for data.

Follow-up Question

I guess that what you are saying is this is now essentially a custom product. If someone pays, it is produced, and if they don't, it is not.

Follow-up Answers

1) It was a custom project for which they had a few customers sharing the price to get it done but since they decided not to buy these data anymore, they dismantled the project and the resources are not there anymore. In order to be able to re-create this side project, they would have to ensure resources on a more long time term because they can't use the resource from the survey to do this. The person doing this before has been re-assigned to another project. So, it's not only a question of if one pays, they would do it. I think it would be if there is a more long term commitment, they would consider doing it.

Hope this help clarify the situation.

2) The DLI has not paid for standard products for some time now. SARTRE was not a standard product, it was basically a special product that was created when interested users were willing to pay for the entire cost of production. A number of years ago they almost cancelled production of this product because they had lost some of their paying clients so I (DLI) agreed to put up $5,000 to help. They also looked for other buyers. They continued to make this product for a while. Now it looks like all of their paying clients
have bailed out. Since this product is cost recovery and not funded under the regular division budget I guess they had no choice but to cancel production. Too bad because this was a well like and well used product.