Recent Case Studies

PLYMOUTH
CN Research was asked to carry out a telephone survey of shoppers in the Plymouth area. The results provided Donaldson’s with market information on a number of issues including: where people visit to do their shopping; how much they spend; what they spend their money on; which food retailers they prefer; what they think of the services provided at the Galleries, in addition to questions on advertising media.

The research method used for this project was a telephone survey. The telephone survey was targeted at specific post code locations in the Plymouth area (the locations were identified by Donaldson’s). This ensured that the sample remained representative of Plymouth residents within a 0-30 minute drive time of the centre. The survey was undertaken on our Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing software (CATI). This allows for a speedier turnaround of responses as information is captured at the point of interview.  We can also closely monitor how the survey is progressing and apply quality control checks throughout. Selection of telephone numbers within the postcode areas was made on a random basis.

Interviews took place in the evenings and during the day in order to maximise the number of interviewees. The total sample size of 1000 gives a confidence interval of + or - 3% at 95% confidence level.

CHESTERFIELD
Vicar lane Shopping Centre in Chesterfield, asked CN Research to undertake a face to face exit survey of 500 respondents on site at the Vicar Lane Centre. The survey was to be the benchmark survey for future survey work at the Centre.

The report reflected the responses of the shoppers who were asked pertinent questions about their shopping habits, e.g. how much time they have spent shopping at The Vicar Lane Shopping Centre, which shops they have visited, where they have eaten, which media they read, listen or watch etc. From these questions the client gained insights into why customers had come to their shopping centre, their levels of satisfaction with the centre and whether there was more that could be done to make their shopping experience more enjoyable.

CN Research conducted an exit survey at the Shopping Centre with interviewers stationed at the main exit points at the Centre. The interviews took place over a ten day period between 10.00am and 4.00pm each day.  502 interviews were taken over this time span in order to allow all customer groups to participate and for a fair representation of opinions to be present in the research findings. Respondents were interviewed by using a systematic sample of asking every third person who approached the interviewer.

The research was undertaken using a questionnaire which was designed by CN Research after consultation with the Centre Manager at The Vicar Lane Centre. The information gathered on all 500 questionnaires was then checked and edited before being input into our SNAP Market Research software programme.

502 responses give a confidence interval of plus or minus 4.3% at the 95% confidence level.

EAST LOTHIAN
CN Research was appointed by East Lothian Council, Miller Developments Ltd, George Wimpey Plc and Premier Property group Ltd (‘the consortium’) to carry out a Shopping Survey to assess the views of residents to a proposed shopping development in Haddington.   CN Research advised carrying out 1000 telephone interviews in total, 500 in Haddington and 500 in a 20 minute drive time of surrounding East Lothian areas.  

A single questionnaire was designed to capture the views of residents living inside Haddington and those living in surrounding East Lothian areas.  Core questions were asked to all respondents, and then separate questions were asked to each, depending on location within or outside of Haddington.  In accordance with instructions in the brief, the eligible respondent in each household was the person that does most of the food shopping.  We ensured that a variety of ages were interviewed.  The 1000 interviews were carried out by Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing.  Interviews took place at different times of the day in order to interview both working and non-working people. Numbers were selected at random and up to 6 call backs were made to each selected number in order to achieve the interview.

MANCHESTER
We were asked to undertake research for Stretford Mall in Manchester. We carried out an exit survey of 500 shoppers asking their opinions about: the shops they had visited; the quality of places they had eaten in; the time they had spent shopping; and how much they had spent. From the questions asked, we were able to gain an insight into why the respondents had come to this shopping centre in particular, their levels of satisfaction with the centre and whether there is more that can be done to make their shopping experience more enjoyable.