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A GUIDE TO RETAIL IMPACT STUDIES greatly. A rural resident may drive further for a good deal on a television than for bread, and further still for a dishwasher or a vehicle. Geographical features, such as mountains or bodies of water, may further alter market areas. In a Colorado analysis, for example, the strong boundary created by the winding passes across the Continental Divide and various roadless areas altered the market area of a mountain city a great deal. In Alaska, ferry routes brought some very distant communities into the orbit of a study community, while nearer communities on paved roads felt little draw. These boundaries are best understood by discussions with local residents and business owners and a review of transportation infrastructure in the region. Finally, market areas in many regions are impacted by other factors, such as the presence of tourists, niche specialization in particular communities, or the locat outlets. Upon taking all these considerations into account, the analyst can identify a consensus market area for the lines of goods at issue in the analysis. Analysts can employ consumer surveying to help determine the extent of market areas, but this may be prohibitively expensive in many cases. Below are two sample market area maps. RETAIL MARKET AREAS: GUNNISON, CO AND HOMER, AK Note that market areas for the study communities are strongly affected by both transportation infrastructure and geographic features. In Gunnison on the left, the market is defined by the broad arc of the continental divide to the east and the Black Canyon to the west. In such a setting, there is little the community might offer to entice residents from adjacent market areas. In Homer on the right, note in particular the inclusion of roadless areas to the south. In those communities, would-be shoppers must travel on a ferry that delivers them to Homer. 10