The Foerster + Thelen Group carries out ongoing retail studies. These are weekly surveys that are carried out using a hand scanner. The stored data are transmitted to us via data transmission (DT). 280 intensively trained interviewers in the area of product recording supervise approx. 1000 retail shops.
The registration takes place in grocery stores, electronics shops, drugstore stores, service stations, department stores, etc. The studies are used to check sales promotion measures, to optimise sales, but also to check placement or availability or range. The surveys are carried out nationwide by a field of freelance employees compiled by us. The area of activity in product recording is very wide. Similar to an inventory in which products are counted, in particular product stocks are determined. In the course of further studies, contact points or facings are the focus, i.e. the front lines or surfaces, which certain products present to the client.
In addition, the determination of displays and other secondary placements is also one of our tasks. This is usually a matter of determining which products are stocked, where they are in the shop, whether the price is unusual or what elements they are built up from. We also examine out-of-stock products, product properties such as ingredients or durability data, or photograph products, placements or adjacent product groups.
The transferred data are checked formally and in terms of content by our internal quality assurance. Anomalies are cleared up quickly and without any problems, and any errors detected are documented.
