Market Research — GCSE Business Revision
Revise Market Research for GCSE Business. Step-by-step explanation, worked examples, common mistakes and exam-style practice aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR.
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- Market Research in GCSE Business: explanation, examples, and practice links on this page.
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Go to Market Segmentation & TargetingWhat is Market Research?
Market research is the process of gathering information about customers, competitors, and the market to help a business make informed decisions. It can be divided into primary research (collecting new data) and secondary research (using existing data).
Board notes: A fundamental topic for all boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR). Students must know the difference between primary/secondary and qualitative/quantitative research and be able to recommend appropriate research methods for a given business scenario.
Step-by-step explanationWorked example
A business wants to launch a new energy drink. It conducts primary research by running a focus group where teenagers taste different flavours. It also does secondary research by analysing a Mintel report on the UK drinks market to understand competitor pricing and market size.
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Common mistakes
- 1Confusing primary and secondary research. Primary research is firsthand data collected for a specific purpose (e.g., surveys, focus groups), while secondary research is data that already exists (e.g., government reports, market analysis).
- 2Thinking research has to be expensive. While large-scale surveys can be costly, businesses can use cheaper methods like online questionnaires, analysing sales data, or reading free industry reports.
- 3Ignoring the sample size. The reliability of survey results depends on the sample size and how representative it is of the target population. A small or biased sample can lead to misleading conclusions.
Market Research exam questions
Exam-style questions for Market Research with mark-scheme style solutions and timing practice. Aligned to AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications.
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Step-by-step method
Step-by-step explanation
4 steps · Worked method for Market Research
Core concept
Market research is the process of gathering information about customers, competitors, and the market to help a business make informed decisions. It can be divided into primary research (collecting new…
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?
Quantitative research involves collecting numerical data that can be statistically analysed (e.g., 'What percentage of people like this flavour?'). Qualitative research gathers non-numerical data to understand opinions and motivations (e.g., 'Why do you like this flavour?').
What is a focus group in market research?
A focus group is a form of qualitative primary research where a small group of people, led by a moderator, discuss their opinions and feelings about a product, service, or concept.