Market research help required…

I’m trying to do some market research and it’s proving difficult to get some concrete figures.
I’m looking at a relatively unknown product in the construction industry and more specifically residential properties.
While I have found house building data I haven’t been able to find more specific information regarding the take up of new products in this sector.
Can anyone point me in the direction of web based information (I’ve had no luck in gov.co.uk)?
Any info I currently have is purely anecdotal from face to face meetings, but I’m looking for more. 🙂

Thanks.

Are you after a particular concrete figure? the place down the road does most small animals – hedgehogs, ducks etc.

STW guaranteed to supply. 😆

I thought I’d get in there quick and now I’ll be off leaving room for the serious answers (which I don’t have). 🙂

A bit of fun and frivolity never hurt anyone, I’m a bit worried that I’ll not be able to tell the difference between the fun and the serious answers! 😕

Can you get access to Mintel reports?

Can you get access to Mintel reports?

Thanks, but not at those prices. 😥 There must be something a little less detailed and a little more free. Or am I being too optimistic?

It’s 14 years since I did my business GNVQ, that’s all I’ve got, sorry!

There must be something a little less detailed and a little more free.

Here you go:

Why would that sort of information be available for nowt? Its commercially sensitive so unless there is a statutory requirement to provide, there is little chance it will be being collated anywhere for free.

It’s not something you’ll find hard figures on. I did an Msc dissertation on the subject – new product for electricians on wiring and rewire jobs.

The short answer is that people are new to new ideas, if they help with meeting regs or save time and cost. The issue is that by and large, they’re not looking for new ideas / materials / technology.

The other angle is to market to the specifiers – get a housing association speccing your kit and suddenly a lot of contractors have to use it.

isnt most market research basically guessing?

Do you mean like this free information geoffj? Which is what I’m looking for and not a detailed analysis.
Thanks tron. I’m in the process of talking to specifiers as that’s the key, but it’s proving difficult to get decent projections. The idea of having done a couple of projects last year doesn’t really help. I was hoping that there would be some info available that would allow me to make some comparisons and formulate some kind of business plan.
Thanks.
I’ll try and see if anyone I know has access to Mintel.

Do you mean like this free information geoffj?

That’s quite clearly not what you are looking for.

I haven’t been able to find more specific information regarding the take up of new products in this sector.

This ^^^^

Good luck with it though. I have a mate who runs a customer research business in your neck(ish) of the woods if you wanted to pay for some work to be done – http://www.curiosityresearch.co.uk/

grum, can I have one of those too? Thanks.

That’s quite clearly not what you are looking for.

Clearly it’s not exactly what I’m looking for, but very similar, hence the question.

Good luck with it though. I have a mate who runs a customer research business in your neck(ish) of the woods if you wanted to pay for some work to be done – http://www.curiosityresearch.co.uk/

Either they’re too busy or can’t satisfy the question as they still haven’t replied to my email of this morning, but thanks for the link.

Clearly it’s not exactly what I’m looking for, but very similar, hence the question.

But the stuff you are looking for is more commercially sensitive, isn’t collated by a UK trade body and therefore isn’t available for free.

Either they’re too busy or can’t satisfy the question as they still haven’t replied to my email of this morning, but thanks for the link.

I know they are busy at the mo, but I’ll give him a nudge.

what are you looking at, BRE has some product info then there are things like the red book, specifiers guides, but most is more catalogue than market research.

I would say that you would find it hard to find anything objective, to many vested interests out to defend the status quo.

Riba is the place to enquire. They also produce a ‘catalog’ of products for architects to specify from called Riba product selector. I don’t deal with them (different discipline) but seem to remember they vet ideas and may be able to help in other ways.

There are other institutions, for example if it is mech or elec fit out product, maybe cibse is the way to go?

Cheers mrmo, I’m looking for sales figures of new products introduced into the building sector to get something on paper to show take up. As I now have to seek some finance I need as strong a case as possible to satisfy the projected sales element of the business plan. I have experience of the environment but need translate what I feel into something on paper.