Market structure

Every firm usually possesses its own internal information about the popularity of its products and about its own sales. This information, although useful, may be of limited value since it tells the firm nothing about the total size of the market, competitors' products and prices, or consumer preferences. Consumer research can be carried out by the Market Research Department of a company or by Market Research Centers, which specialize in providing this service for others.
Market researchers collect, analyze and interpret data to provide companies with information about the needs and desires of the buying public, they develop forecasts of consumer motivations and buying habits on the basis of these forecasts, they propose strategies for the marketing campaign of current products and suggest areas for market expansion.