This article will give you an overview of the kinds of research conducted by our expert analysts to create their reports.

Every location has its own characteristics, and we account for the differences between locations by partnering with external experts and using unique consumer sample structures for our location-specific reports. Please reference these articles to learn more about the sampling structures: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Americas, Global Consumer.

Exclusive and original quantitative consumer research is commissioned for almost all our reports. The research brings an up-to-date and unique insight into topical issues of importance.

Consumer research is usually representative of the online population of the location. The results are exclusively available in our reports.

In some countries, we work with external research partners to conduct consumer research.

To ensure we capture a broad spectrum of respondents, Mintel sets quotas for each age group, split by gender. We also set quotas by region.

Mintel has an internal team of market analysts who monitor:

Data from other published sources is the latest available at the time of writing the report.

This information is supplemented by our extensive library of reports, which we have been producing since 1972. We produce 500+ reports each year. Our expert analysts also use other databases within Mintel, such as the Global New Product Database (GNPD), which monitors FMCG product launches, Mintel’s Market Size Database, which contains data on many areas of consumer spending and retail sales in various markets, and Mintel's Macroeconomic Database, which contains data on macroeconomic and demographic factors which impinge on consumer spending patterns and inform Mintel's market forecasts in select markets.

In addition to in-house sources, researchers also occasionally use outside libraries and gather information from retail store and exhibition visits.

Mintel conducts informal trade research for a number of reports. This involves contacting key players in the trade not only to gain information concerning their own operations, but also to obtain explanations and views of the strategic issues pertinent to the market being researched in order to address current brand and marketing issues.

Mintel’s analysts undertake extensive trade interviews with selected key experts in the field. The purpose of these interviews is to assess key issues in the marketplace in order to ensure that any research undertaken takes these into account. In addition, our experienced external researchers are involved in trade research that is undertaken for some reports. This takes the form of full trade interview questionnaires, and direct quotes are included in the report and analysed by experts in the field. This gives valuable insight into a range of trade views on topical issues.

To complement its exclusive consumer research, Mintel tracks social media data for inclusion in selected reports. Using Infegy’s Atlas software, Mintel analyses online conversations across a range of social platforms including X (formerly known as Twitter), consumer forums and the wider web.

Atlas provides rich consumer insight via the analysis of commentary posted publicly on the internet. The system performs a comprehensive and broad collection of data from millions of internet sources, working to ensure a faithful and extensive sampling of feedback from the widest range of individuals. The dataset contains commentary posted in real time, as well as a substantial archive dating back to 2007.