“Marketing research is the systematic design, collection, analysis and reporting of data and findings to a specific marketing situation facing the company” P Kotler(2000,103)
“Marketing research provides a useful link between the supplier and the customer by keeping up to date with customer needs and wants”. D doyle(2002,175)* averiguar bien las refrencias
Most of the authors highlight the importance of marketing research in any kind of company and it can be applied in a wide range of issues. In the case of retail, information flow must move fluently and efficiently between suppliers, stores and consumers. Marketing environmental analysis (micro and macro) made before is an example of marketing research and the success of the marketing plan developed in this report will lean on it.
Kotler (2000,105) divides the marketing research process in 5 principal steps: 1. The definition of a certain problem to be enquired. (objectives) 2. Develop the research plan. (Examination of secondary data or generating initial data) 3. Collect the information. 4. Data analysis. 5. Building recommendation.
In this case, the definition of the problem is to evaluate the feasibility of extending an Argos´s branch in Colombia. Research plan focused on secondary data examination which is a collection of already published data for different purposes and it was obtained from different sources (Government statistics and social trends, academic journals, marketing books, social survives, etc.).
Primary data is useful for specifics purposes, and it can provide information to monitor sales levels, measure effectiveness of internal practices etc. There are different research approaches (observational, focus group, survey, behavioral or experimental), researches should decide which of them will fulfill the company’s needs. Due report´s investigation purpose was not extremely specific and secondary data wholly solved the defined problem, primary data sources were not used.
Some firms sell assembled consumer and trade information for specific o general purposes (Nielsen, Media Research, etc.). Every company