Abstract:

Historically manufacturers have demanded that research suppliers should provide broader and deeper insight into the habits of the hypermarket shopper because this is the area over which they have traditionally been able to exercise the most control. There is often a central point of contact for these negotiations, promotions can be agreed, implemented and measured and the supply chain is comparatively straightforward. Increasingly, however, this emphasis has begun to change and the same manufacturers are now asking for more information on the other channels, such as convenience stores or petrol stations, as this is where they say they can actually still make some money. This paper explores why manufacturers are demanding more information on out of home consumption behaviour and how specialized out of home scanning units are being used to provide new insights into this notoriously under researched area. Based on first hand experience in panel management in Asia and a pilot of 500 households in the UK this paper also looks at some unique problems that need to be considered when managing an out of home scanning panel as well as uncovering some of the light that this new research is starting to shine on this increasingly important sector.