SURVEY METHODOLOGY: ISMEA - AC NIELSEN HOUSEHOLD PANEL SURVEY
The ISMEA* household panel survey, carried out in partnership with ACNielsen, is a weekly collection of food purchases of a 6.000 households sample. The sample is stratified according to geographical and socio-demographic variables and is representative for the entire universe of Italian households. Communities (such as hospitals or jails) are excluded and household members consumption outside the principal residence as well
Sample stratification is based on:
- Geographical dimension, four geographical areas and various types of Comuni (e.g. urbanization level);
- Demographic/behavioural dimension five micro-zones identified by social, economic and behavioural characteristics).
The sample is then balanced with the following variables:
- Regions;
- Number of household members;
- Age of the responsible person for purchases;
- Household socio-economic level;
- Age of the household members;
- Presence of children.
The collection is based on the home scanning technology, which actively involves the household. For every purchasing action, the household immediately (“when the goods enter in the house”) registers all the data in mini-PC with a optical scanner.
The product code scanning gives information at EAN code level; in addition, a number of punctual questions are made to the household:
- purchase day;
- purchase place (visited point of sale);
- buyer;
- purchased quantity for each product;
- price;
- promotion.
For unpacked products (without EAN code) a Reference Guide is delivered to the household, which describes in detail the products. In this way it is possible to collect all the information for Grocery, fresh, bulk and auto-produced products.
Then, the household weekly transmit the information via PC.
|
|
