Organizations have long relied on consumer research to identify what influences consumer behaviors and buying patterns. This allows the organizations to tailor their products, strategies, and marketing efforts to align with the preferences of the target customer base. However, what if the shopper research that is so important to organizations has a fundamental flaw? 

A new study by 84.51°, a leading retail data science, insights, and media company, reveals that companies might be basing major business decisions on data that is flawed because the research is targeting shoppers the wrong way. 

The objective of the study was to determine how sample quality impacts research outcomes by comparing different sampling methodologies and found significant discrepancies between self-claimed and behaviorally-verified surveys. 

A high majority of surveys rely on self-claimed sampling, which can be inaccurate and unreliable. The eligibility of respondents in such surveys is not verified through objective first-party data or behavioral evidence. Instead, the respondents are asked common questions such as their age, occupation, shopping habits, etc. The accuracy of these surveys is highly dependent on the respondent’s ability to accurately remember and report their shopping habits resulting in uncertainty about whether respondents’ memories reflect their true buying behaviors.  

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