Your Target Market

Updated: February 1, 2016

A Word On Primary Research

The main point of this guide is to introduce you to a wide range of secondary market research resources but keep in mind there is great value in analyzing other information including:

  • Advertising, blogs and sales brochures
  • Your personal network and employees
  • Direct observation, focus groups and interviews with potential customers

Construction Forecast Website | Construction Sector Council (CSC)
Offers an online delivery system that provides construction organizations with timely forecast data on residential and non-residential construction investment activity and labour supply and demand, at the national, provincial and regional levels. Please note you'll have to share a little information about yourself before you can access this data.

Survey of Household Spending - Statistics Canada
Raw data in table form from the Survey of Household Spending (SHS). This general resource provides information on household spending by demographics. Report includes detailed information on Canadian spending patterns, household equipment, and housing conditions. Also includes the ability to view data from British Columbia only; click on "Add/Remove Data".

What you'll find: The average household expenditure on owned living quarters by province or in Canada as a whole. Compare changes over last few years.

The Daily - Statistics Canada
The premier source for Canadian statistical information, including census information. Search 'The Daily' releases by subject to identify corresponding census tables, latest news, and publications. Similarly, you can browse by data source, including surveys & questionnaires relevant to your market research, which also link to census tables, latest news and publications.

Library Resources

Access to the following sources may be available through your local public or academic library. For information on how to obtain a library card, and for additional information on using libraries in BC, please visit our Getting Access to Library Resources page.

Vividata (formerly "Print Measurement Bureau")
Includes information on Canadians' usage of over 3500 products and services. Information includes demographics, attitudes, media consumption, retail outlets, frequency of usage and brands used. UBC affiliates and in-person library patrons can learn more about the resource here.

Start here: Includes information on real estate and home improvement spending broken down by data such as: martial status, family size, net income, and language spoken.

Marketresearch.com/Freedonia Focus

How to access: Check your local public or academic library to see about access. If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

While you can search this website only some Canadian libraries provide full-text access to the market research reports on industries and demographics for North American industries. They can range from 50 to 400+ pages in length, and contain charts, tables, and graphs, and key facts. Marketresearch.com has varied industry coverage and includes US and international information.

Start here: SBI. (2010). Energy Storage Technologies in Utility Markets Worldwide. Retrieved from Market Research.com Academic database.
Start here: SBI. (2010). LED and Energy Efficient Lighting Worldwide Markets: Indoor, Outdoor, Residential, Commercial. Retrieved from Market Research.com Academic database.

Tips

To find more information on demographics, try entering the phrase “demographic data” and your city name into the search box of any popular search engine such as Google or Bing. 

 

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