Research Guides: *Getting Started with Business Research: Market Research

Basic Steps to Market Research

Understand the Industry, Marketplace and Competitors

Consider the existing industry and its major corporate players. Several sources are available to find industry profiles. It may also be helpful to learn about existing companies marketing similar products.

Look at Market Research Reports

Market research reports typically analyze and interpret data about products or services and their current and potential customers and may make forecasts about the future outlook. Market research reports may be produced by professional analysts, government agencies or trade/professional associations.

Look for Demographic Data

Demographic data can help identify potential target markets of customers based on their preferences, income and spending habits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a Consumer Expenditure Survey of US consumer spending habits.

Market Research and Forecasts

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
An industry analysis resource providing access to industry and company research reports for more than 700 United States industries.
Mintel Reports Database This link opens in a new window
Consumer market research for products & services as well as targeted marketing to specific consumer groups (Millennials, Green Consumers, etc) in the US and Europe. You must register your @slu.edu email address.
Passport: Global Market Information Database This link opens in a new window
Provides global business research intelligence on industries, countries, and consumers.
BizMiner This link opens in a new window
Bizminer offers industry financial analysis benchmarks for over 5,000 lines of business and industry market trends on thousands more. The market analysis reports are available at the national and local levels down to the zip code....more.
RKMA Market Research Handbook Series This link opens in a new window
These business reference handbooks focused on marketing and the consumer marketplace. Each handbook includes market assessments and forecasts, sector trends, profiles of market leaders, and statistics. In addition to in-depth analyses, the handbooks include links to hundreds of websites for additional information.

Demographic and Consumer Information

Census Data from the Census Bureau
The Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy.
Consumer Expenditure Survey
The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects information from American consumers (families and single consumers) on their buying habits (expenditures), income, and characteristics. The strength of the survey is that it allows data users to relate the expenditures and income of consumers to the characteristics of those consumers.

MRI Simmons Insights This link opens in a new window
Register your SLU email address to login. Consists of marketing data, collected from more than 22,000 households, which is then projected to the general population to reflect the buying habits of United States consumers based on their media habits.
ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
2013-present. The Statistical Abstract of the U.S. includes brief statistics on almost every topic. The focus is on the U.S. but some international statistics are included. This is a great source to start with to find which agency or organization has collected more in-depth statistics. Last print edition: Pius Level 1 Reference HA202 .A3 2012....more.

The SBDC National Information Clearinghouse
Provides links to several comprehensive demographic data sources from the federal government.