Industry overview
What is shaping information services
Data, ratings and information providers need to understand what users actually need, keep their data fresh and size new opportunities accurately.
- Users want timely, verified data in their workflow
- Data collection at scale needs strong quality control
- New products need validation before launch
Client background
A data and analytics company, working in India, Indonesia & Egypt. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A data and analytics company
- Sector
- Information services
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Offline data collection, Data processing & analytics, Custom business applications
Client challenge
The client needed reliable monthly prices for everyday products from traditional and modern stores to build price indices. Previous suppliers had delivered data with gaps and unexplained outliers, which undermined confidence in the indices.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: collecting retail price data across cities.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Set up a repeatable measure the client can track over time.
Target audience
Scope: 5,000 stores monthly.
Audiences we typically reach in information services
Data users and analystsSubscribers and enterprise buyersData contributorsProspectsPartners
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India, Indonesia & Egypt. Markets: India, Indonesia and Egypt. 5,000 stores monthly covered.
- India
- Indonesia
- Egypt
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Store price collection with mobile app
- 3Quality checks
- 4Insight
Field teams collected prices using a mobile app with photo evidence and GPS, and back-office teams checked outliers and missing data before delivery. Field staff were trained on product specifications so the same pack sizes and variants were recorded each month, and supervisors re-checked a sample of stores. Outliers were investigated with the collector before data was released.
Offline data collectionData processing & analyticsCustom business applications
Sampling strategy
- Respondents were selected across India, Indonesia & Egypt using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
- Telephone contacts were dialled from verified lists, with quotas tracked live by the field team.
Data collection
- Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person, supervised in the field.
- Telephone interviews were run from our CATI centre, with calls monitored for quality.
Data quality & validation
- Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
- Time and location checks on field interviews
- Supervisor accompaniment in the field
- Live call monitoring and recording review
- Call-back verification
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Price and trade-off analysis
- Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking
Key findings
- Photo evidence made price data verifiable.
Recommendations
- The client received consistent monthly datasets with documented quality checks, supporting its price indices.
- The client later extended the programme to additional cities.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Data gaps fell sharply, and the client expanded the programme to more product categories and cities.
Deliverables & next steps
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interactive dashboard
- Continue the routine and review results every period.
- A natural follow-on question: what do users need from the product?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.