Construction is a vast market encompassing a range of B2B and B2C audiences and market influencers (such as specifiers, regulators or merchants), as well as a wide range of product and service types and applications.  Our construction market research experts have been researching this industry for many years and are familiar with the complex supply and building chain, the key players and their relative influence.  Audiences we have researched include:

•    DIYers/consumers
•    Subcontractors/trades
•    Maintenance professionals
•    Specifiers, such as Architects
•    Main contractors
•    Housebuilders
•    Merchants
•    Manufacturers

Some of our construction and building companies that we have worked for include:
 

The construction industry has weathered the Covid crisis well, apart from the initial shut downs in activity and difficulties accessing materials.  In our construction market research we have seen an almost unprecedented increase in demand for home improvements and house prices and demand for new housing remains high.  Some sectors are seeing a particular boom, such as the building of new warehousing as the demand for distribution increases.

We have seen in our construction market research services some changes in buying patterns amongst the trades, with a slight shift to online purchasing for example.  Construction trades in the UK have been traditionally stubborn to change their purchasing behaviour, but we have seen an increase in digital interaction with suppliers via the website or app, either for purchase and delivery or to check availability or for click and collect.  However, many do still prefer the traditional way of going to a store and picking up what they need for the day.  

A key challenge for any supplier going forward will be to offer an excellent customer experience that uses a mix of traditional and modern methods of delivery to meet a range of customer needs.  Suppliers such as Screwfix, which may not previously have been considered by trades, increasingly offer a hugely straightforward customer experience that many now value.  Our construction and building market research can help provide an understanding of customer needs and spot opportunities for differentiation.

We help our construction clients with a wide range of issues, such as:

•    Customer satisfaction
•    Product range management
•    New product development
•    Customer persona and segmentation
•    Ad testing
•    Catalogue and website testing
•    Understanding the specification process

For example, we helped Saint-Gobain with their global brand refresh through extensive qualitative concept testing.  We helped CEF, the electrical wholesaler, develop remote means of customer interaction like the catalogue, website and their new app to match the way trades are buying and we helped Hafele test and develop their furniture offer through conversations with consumers and design experts.
 
As a full service company we utilise a range of techniques to conduct our construction market research.  These include traditional techniques such as phone surveys (we have an excellent team of B2B interviewers experienced in the construction industry) or F2F group discussions.  We have conducted F2F group discussions even during Covid, where it is essential, such as for a product testing exercise.  However, we are increasingly using online methods such as holding groups online, which we are finding work well with our audiences.

In addition to primary research we are also increasingly using secondary information to contextualise and back up our research, such as competitor research or industry sources.

We are increasingly using pop up online communities to provide insight during Covid.  These are short term (typically a week) groups of respondents set up to use an online platform to provide regular feedback.  We use the Recollective platform which offers a lot of innovative features to make the process easy to run and engaging for the respondents.  This can be used for a range of research topics including branding discussions, product testing, communication testing or ethnographic studies for example.

All of our construction and building market research projects are led by an experienced team of researchers who will develop an approach from our different techniques to meet your objectives within budget and timescale.  One of our experts is always available to discuss a project and we look forward to speaking with you.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---