Frequently Asked Questions
Company Expertise & Experience
What experience do you have in conducting retail market research, in developing economies?
Our business was established and built on understanding the trade in developing economies and this remains our speciality. We understand the nuances of traditional trade, wholesale trade and modern trade in these economies thanks to our decades of experience.
In which countries or regions have you worked and in which countries can you work?
With a few exceptions, we have worked in most African countries as well as in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
What industries or products have you researched?
We mostly work in the retail industry and have conducted research into a wide range of Consumer-Packaged Goods. Much of our experience has been tracking the beverage industry across Africa and we have comprehensive up-to-date data for this category
Do you have case studies or examples of similar projects you’ve done for FMCG/CPG brands?
Yes, we have many examples of research projects that we have conducted. We also have data on over 5 million retail outlets (and counting), a vast amount of longitudinal data for beverage and other CPG categories and our current continuous retail tracking in numerous countries.
Do you conduct both quantitative and qualitative research?
FRG focuses on quantitative research and where necessary partners with expect qualitative researches within our vast network to help clients achieve the optimal outcome
Do you offer solutions that can give insights and direction around shoppers and consumers?
Yes, we are all about understanding the total eco-system in the traditional trade or in the environment we are researching. It is not only the retailer that is important but the people shopping (Shopper Research) as well as the final consumer of the product (Consumer Research).
Methodology & Data Collection
How do you collect data from fragmented retail channels (formal vs informal trade)?
Our established inhouse methodologies, software and applications have been perfected over the past few decades making us best-in-class researchers, according to our clients.
What sampling methods do you use to ensure data accuracy and representativeness?
We have a team of data scientists who specialise in this field, and providing accurate and practical samples, based on the project needs.
Do you use in-field data collectors, digital tools, or a hybrid approach?
We use all three. It depends on the scope of the work, the category, the segment, the country and the cultural nuances. In many cases we adopt, uniquely, a multi-pronged approach.
How do you validate the reliability of retailer and consumer feedback in regions with limited infrastructure?
We have an excellent reputation for data integrity and transparency and have numerous validation protocols in place to ensure that the data we gather from the most remote or underdeveloped regions is accurate. This has come with years of on the ground experience.
Technology & Tools
What technology platforms or dashboards do you use to present findings?
We operate within a Microsoft environment, which means our data is accessible to most clients using our customised, secure online portal. We can deliver data in multiple formats including using mapping software to visualise data in a fit for purpose way.
Do you offer real-time or near real-time data tracking?
As far as possible, we deliver our data within a timeous manner. Our systems do allow for offline data capture, in remote regions, which can delay the delivery of this data. This is managed on a case-by-case basis. Our delivery timeline of our monthly tracking studies is a bench mark for our competitors.
Can your data integrate with my company’s existing systems (CRM, BI tools, etc.)?
Integration of data is key. Many of our global clients require data to be ingested into their central systems over and above local systems. We can build the required process to integrate our data with your systems.
Retail Coverage
How extensive is your retail database (formal vs informal outlets, urban vs rural)?
We have data on over 5 million retail outlets, and this figure is constantly expanding. Due to ongoing research projects, the data on these outlets is continuously updated. Our data covers all channel segments.
Do you cover modern trade and general/traditional trade.
Yes, but it is traditional/general trade in which we specialise as we believe this is the growth engine of developing markets and will be for some time.
Can you segment data by geography, outlet type, or consumer profile?
We can segment data by these categories as well as many more. We believe in obtaining the most granular data possible, as that is where the real value lies.
Data Depth & Insights
Can you measure distribution, availability, pricing, and promotional effectiveness for my products?
Yes, we can, and we have substantial amounts of this data for a wide range of products already..
Do you track competitor performance for benchmarking purposes?
Yes
Can you provide insights into consumer purchasing drivers and loyalty?
Yes
Practical Considerations
How frequently can you conduct surveys (monthly, quarterly, annually)?
This depends on the nature of the project. Please refer to our In-Store Intelligence, Market Intelligence, Geo-Spatial Solutions and Bespoke Research where we provide various options on how we can help give you line of sight into your markets and, your categories.
What is your turnaround time from data collection to reporting?
This depends on the nature of the project. However, as we have significant amounts of data readily available, we can supply historical data on demand. For the rest, in the proposal phase, detail timelines and milestones are shared and agreed upon.
What challenges have you faced gathering data in developing economies, and how did you overcome them?
Developing economies have a host of nuances and difficulties that are not generally found in developed economies. However, our years of experience and the protocols, systems and applications that we have developed makes the task relatively easy.
Partnership & Support
Do you provide recommendations and actionable insights, or just raw data?
We go way beyond the provision of raw data, we provide analysis, insights and direction too. Our experienced and passionate Client Service team offer great support during the data delivery phase. This is where the magic happens.
Can you help us design follow-up strategies from the research you do (e.g., route-to-market optimization, trader engagement)?
Yes, however these depend on your key business imperatives. We provide several follow-up strategies. These include route-to-market optimization, gap and outlet expansion analysis, strategy workshops and more.
What ongoing support or consultation do you provide after delivering the report?
We provide extensive after-market support to ensure that the right insights are shared so that your business can act on the data both tactically and strategically.
Compliance & Ethics
How do you ensure compliance with local laws, data privacy, and ethical standards?
We are members of the South African Market Research Association (SAMRA) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR) and thus conform to their standards of ethical and professional conduct. We are also General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Protection of Private Information Act (POPIA) compliant.
Do you work with local field partners or maintain your own teams on the ground?
We work with local partners who receive extensive training on the methodologies we use. Local researchers can provide valuable insights, and the projects benefit from their local knowledge and expertise in culture, business, language, and much more.