ArcMap

Advanced Huff Model

Available with Business Analyst license.

Summary

Creates a probability surface to predict the sales potential of an area based on distance and attractiveness factors.

Learn more about how Advanced Huff Model works

Usage

  • The results of the Huff Model can be used to:

    • Estimate market potential.
    • Define and analyze market potential.
    • Assess economic impact of a new site location.
    • Forecast sales and potential of existing stores and outlets.
    • Assess the impact of competitive and environmental changes on outlet performance.

  • The first step to executing this tool is to define a study area that includes all the trade areas of all competing stores being analyzed.

  • The Sales Potential Layer is usually a polygon features representing subareas where the potential customers live. Point features can also be used; for example, block centroids that have associated demographic data.

  • The Competitive Store Layer should include all competitive locations in a given study area. This layer should also include any of your existing store locations in the study area, since they will act as competitors to a new store location. In most cases, the competitive store layer will be a Business Analyst store layer.

  • Competitive store locations can be extracted from the Add Business Listings function in Business Analyst.

    Learn more about adding business listings

  • A higher Distance Coefficient indicates that distance will have a greater impact on consumer behavior. For example, consumers are more willing to travel farther for high-order goods, such as automobiles and furniture, than they are for low-order goods, such as groceries.

  • The output of the Huff Model generates probabilities and estimated sales for each subgeographic area. The output probabilities can be used to define primary market (trade) areas for a new store location. For example, a trade area can be created using the Dissolve By Attribute tool to create a primary market area that includes all the subgeography areas that have a probability higher than 40 percent of patronizing the new store location.

  • The spatial reference of the output feature class will be the same as the Sales Potential Layer.

  • The Potential Sales Field measure the attractiveness of a store. The values in this field, also known as predictor values, often include attributes of a store, such as square footage, number of parking spaces, advertising, store hours, prices, age, appearance, signage, accessibility, and so forth.

Syntax

HuffModelAdvanced_ba (SalesPotentialLayer, SalesPotentialLayerIDFieldName, PotentialSalesFldName, StoreLayer, StoreIDField, WayToDefineStoreLocation, WayToDefineParams, DistanceCalculationMethod, DistanceCoefficient, AttractionVariables, OutputFeatureClass, {ExtentSourceLayer}, {Longitude}, {Latitude}, {PotentialStoreLayer}, {PotentialStoreOID}, {PathToCalibratedResult})
ParameterExplanationData Type
SalesPotentialLayer

The input feature class that contains the data used to calculate the numeric potential of the Huff Model. This is typically expressed in annual sales data.

Feature Layer
SalesPotentialLayerIDFieldName

The unique identifier of the sales potential layer.

Field
PotentialSalesFldName

The field containing the values used to calculate the sales potential of the Huff Model.

Field
StoreLayer

The layer that contains the competitive points (usually stores) used to determine how sales are influenced and distributed across the analysis area.

Feature Layer
StoreIDField

The unique identifier of the competitive store layer.

Field
WayToDefineStoreLocation

The method used to generate the potential store layer:

  • BY_COORDINATES —The potential store layer is generated using latitude and longitude coordinates.
  • FROM_LAYER —The potential store layer is generated from an existing point feature class.
String
WayToDefineParams

Input method for the parameters for the Advanced Huff Model:

  • MANUALLY —Travel time calculation method, distance coefficient, and attraction values are manually entered.
  • USE_CALIBRATED_RESULT —Huff model parameters are generated via the Huff Model calibration tools.
String
DistanceCalculationMethod

Assigns the method used to calculate distances between geographic areas defined by the potential customer's layer parameter and stores from the competitive stores layer.

  • STRAIGHT_LINE_DISTANCE —Euclidean (as the crow flies) approach.
  • DRIVE DISTANCE —Driving distance measured in units of distance.
  • DRIVE_TIME —Driving time measured in units of time.
String
DistanceCoefficient

The value that determines how much of a factor travel distance is to the consumer.

Double
AttractionVariables
[[Variable, {Potential Store Value}, {Coefficient}],...]

The values that measure how attractive a store is to consumers.

Value Table
OutputFeatureClass

The feature class that will contain the Huff Model results.

Feature Class
ExtentSourceLayer
(Optional)

The input feature class used to define the extent of the analysis.

Feature Layer
Longitude
(Optional)

The x-coordinate (longitude) for the potential site.

Double
Latitude
(Optional)

The y-coordinate (latitude) for the potential site.

Double
PotentialStoreLayer
(Optional)

The existing point feature class that will be used to define the potential store location.

Feature Layer
PotentialStoreOID
(Optional)

The unique identifier for the potential store location.

Long
PathToCalibratedResult
(Optional)

The existing Huff Model calibration file.

Folder

Code sample

HuffModelAdvanced example (stand-alone script)

# Name: HuffModelAdvanced.py
# Description: Analyzes stores in the San Francisco area to determine the estimated annual sales.
# Author: Esri

# Import system modules
import arcview
import arcpy

arcpy.ImportToolbox(r"C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.7\Business Analyst\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Business Analyst Tools.tbx")
 
try:
# Acquire extension license 
  arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Business")
  arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Network") 
 
# Define input and output parameters for the Advanced Huff Model tool
  SalesLayer = "C:/ArcGIS/Business Analyst/US_2018/Data/Demographic Data/BlockGroups_bg.bds"
  SalesId = "ID"
  FieldName = "TOTPOP_CY"
  CompLayer = "C:/temp/sf_stores.shp"
  StoreId = "STORE_ID"
  DefineStoreLayer = "BY_COORDINATES"
  DefineParams = "MANUALLY"
  DistanceCalc = "DRIVE_TIME"
  Coefficient = "-1.5"
  AttractionVars = "SALES 500000 1.75"
  OutPath = "C:/temp/Huff_adv.shp"
 
# Create Advanced Huff Model
  arcpy.HuffModelAdvanced_ba(SalesLayer,
	  SalesId,
	  FieldName,
	  CompLayer,
	  StoreId,
	  DefineStoreLayer,
	  DefineParams,
	  DistanceCalc,
	  Coefficient,
	  AttractionVars,
	  OutPath)
 
# Release extension license 
  arcpy.CheckInExtension("Business")
  arcpy.CheckInExtension("Network")
 
except:
  print arcpy.GetMessages(2)

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

  • ArcGIS Desktop Basic: Requires Business Analyst
  • ArcGIS Desktop Standard: Requires Business Analyst
  • ArcGIS Desktop Advanced: Requires Business Analyst

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