With a background in Applied Economics and a passion for urban development, AEDA's Advisor, Economic Research, Anita Fairuz, brings a wealth of experience to our in-house team of economic researchers. Read our interview with Anita to learn what it takes to analyse complex city data and uncover the key economic trends shaping consumer behaviour in Adelaide City and North Adelaide.
Can you tell us what an Advisor, Economic Research does? And, what makes you passionate about this work?
My role involves delivering economic insights that help AEDA and its stakeholders understand the conditions and trends shaping the city economy. It also involves helping guide AEDA’s research agenda, ensuring our work responds to emerging opportunities and challenges.
This includes tracking key indicators such as city spending, visitation, accommodation performance, business sentiment, workforce trends and retail activity, while also drawing on qualitative feedback from businesses, visitors and stakeholders to understand what is driving these trends.
What I enjoy most about this work is seeing data move beyond numbers and become useful evidence that informs decision-making — whether for investment attraction, policy discussions, business support or helping teams and stakeholders better understand the city economy.
How do you approach turning complex data into practical, digestible insights?
I start by understanding the actual business question or decision that the data needs to support, then consider the available data and any relevant qualitative insights. Rather than simply reporting numbers, I focus on identifying the key message — what has changed, why it matters, and what it means for businesses or decision-makers.
I often bring together multiple sources, such as spending, foot traffic, visitor economy data, stakeholder insights and broader economic indicators, to develop a clearer narrative. The aim is to present insights in a clear, concise and practical way, using plain language, visuals and short commentary so both technical and non-technical audiences can quickly understand the story behind the data.
How can businesses make use of the data and insights that your team develops?
Businesses can use our insights to better understand customer behaviour, city visitation patterns, spending trends and broader economic conditions.
For example, spending and foot traffic trends can inform decisions about trading hours, staffing, promotions and seasonal planning, while visitor sentiment and qualitative insights can build an understanding of how people are experiencing the city, what they value and what might encourage them to return.
Investors and businesses looking to expand can use our economic research to understand Adelaide’s strengths, opportunities and market conditions.
What are some key insights or trends for businesses to pay attention to right now?
Consumers remain value-conscious, so businesses need to consider how cost-of-living pressures may influence spending decisions. Global uncertainty, including geopolitical tensions, is also affecting business confidence, supply chains and fuel prices, which can influence travel sentiment and make households more cautious with discretionary spending.
Despite this, people are still willing to spend on experiences, events, dining and activities that feel worthwhile or distinctive. The city continues to benefit from festivals and events, which support visitation and spending across retail, hospitality and accommodation.
Hybrid working patterns also remain important, particularly for city businesses that rely on office worker activity during the week.
Looking ahead, visitor economy indicators — including hotel demand, event visitation and domestic and international travel — will continue to play an important role in shaping the city's performance.
Looking for more data to inform your business decisions? Discover the movements shaping the city economy with AEDA's quarterly economic reports.