The BEST Report Provides data insight into your product categories
Valuable category information on market size and brand share
- Market Size by operator segment and region
- Volumetric Measure: Pounds, gallons or other non dollar measures
- Manufacturer Brand and Distributor Label Shares
- Foodservice segments that are primary users of the category
- Top selling formats/and or flavors
- Trend data for market size and brand shares
What is the BEST Report?
List Source and Name Selection
List of commercial restaurant operators and non commercial/institutions is leased from major foodservice business publications. Completion quotas are established for 34 market segments within each of four geographic regions. Universe count for each of 148 sample cells (34 segments within 4 regions) is used to determine the sample size and also the projection factor which explodes sample data into estimates for market size for the entire foodservice universe .
Questionnaire
A total of 1,850 interviews are to be completed with foodservice operators by the research phone staff of Foodservice Research Institute (FSRIN). Quotas are to be observed for each market segment within each state and region using state by state operator counts based on leading industry and government sources. Questionnaire is to be designed by the Foodservice Research Institute. Questions are to be asked on quantities of product categories purchased for each brand/label per average week. Client approves wording of their category question (s).
Data Collection and Processing
All calls are completed at the call center of Foodservice Research institute in Oak Park. Computer Aided Telephoning Interviewing is used with brand coding built into the CATI system. Questionnaire, survey, data control and tabulation are implemented using an IBM/SPSS® software package. Records are reviewed for consistency and completeness by the staff of Foodservice Research Institute, Inc.
Quality Control
BEST phone interviewing is conducted using college students from Concordia and Dominican Universities. Interviewing is conducted on the premises of Foodservice Research Institute. All interviews are constantly audited by a dedicated QC monitor on the FSRIN staff. Real Time viewing of results is possible as interviews are completed.
Research Margin of Error
All survey research is based on the premise that a randomly selected sample of the universe can be used to infer characteristics and behavior about the universe. Provided strict sampling methods are employed, the sample is a reflection of the universe within a plus or minus margin of error that is related to sample size and confidence level. The plus or minus margin of error for the BEST sample is 2.4 percentage points (at the 95 degree level of confidence), however, this applies only to market share data. The margin of error for market size estimates is in the range of 10% to 15% depending on the product category.
BEST Reports Include
- Executive Summary --- generally 3 to 5 slides
- Detailed Findings --- 15 to 25 charts utilizing tables and graphs
- Trend reports in second and succeeding years increase the size of the Executive Summary and Detailed Findings
- Computer tabulations provide detailed information on the brand share of each brand and company of all reported brands
- For example, if a company has 3 brands, results are provided for total company (example 25%) and for each brand (example: A=15%, B=7% and C=3%)
BEST Sample for Chains
More than 350 phone operator level interviews are to completed with the top 125 QSR Chains. Completion quotas are set for each chain depending on chain size. A sample of QSR chains included in QSR sample includes : Arby’s, Burger King, Domino’s, Jack in the Box, McDonalds, Popeye’s, Taco Bell, Carl’s Jr., Zaxby’s, Del Taco, Panda Express, White Castle, Whataburger, Captain D’s, KFC, Qdoba, Krystal, Hardee’s and more.
Phone interviews are to be completed with 125 Casual Chain Operators at the unit level and these include: Applebee’s, Chili’s, Olive Garden, Long Horn Steakhouse, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, California Pizza Kitchen, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, O’Charley’s, Daily Grill, Rainforest Café and more.
Phone interviews will be completed with 115 Midscale Chain Operators at the unit level and these include: Denny’s, Ponderosa, Perkin’s, Steak ‘n Shake, Friendly’s, IHOP, Cracker Barrel, Waffle House, Big Boy, Bob Evan’s, Sizzler, Eat ‘n Park, Marie Callender’s, Western Sizzlin’ and more.
BEST Sample by State/Region
BEST Sample is selected with quotas set by Market Segment within Region.
- Central: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
- Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.
- South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Dist. of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas.
- West: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii.
Interested in BEST?
Fill out this Contact Form and an Account Executive will contact you.
View a sample of The BEST Report
*contents of report vary by product category
Interview Process Guidelines
- 100% of BEST telephone interviews are made from our Chicago corporate office by our fluent English and Spanish speaking staff of student interviewers from local Universities. Quality Controls and monitoring allow real time viewing of resultant distributions as they occur during the interview process.
- Staff is trained to administer questionnaire using CATI methodologies and IBM/SPSS® software.
- All respondents are qualified by interviewers for purchasing knowledge and authority.
- Respondents are then asked to indicate which product categories (out of our subscribed list of 15-20) they purchase. i.e. Do you purchase Bacon?, Breakfast Sausage?, Cheese?
- For each category purchased, the respondent is then asked to indicate (aided basis) which product formats they purchase. i.e. “Do you purchase Raw Bacon or Pre Cooked?” Or “Which types of Cheese, I am now going to mention, do you purchase? American? Cheddar? Colby?
- When category use/purchase has been established, operators are asked (unaided basis for each format): “What brand do you purchase? What other brands do you purchase? Do you purchase any other brands?
- Operators are then asked “How much of this brand (product) do you use in an average week?” Most volumetric measures are expressed in pounds. Volumetric measures also may include number of PC containers, gallons, bag in box volume packs, pouch packs (#10 equivalent), 5 gallon pails and other configurations.
BEST Answers Key Questions
What is the category size for my product lines?
- Expressed in pound volume
- Detailed for Product Sub-Categories / formats
Is my products category volume growing?
- Growth of my brand vs. competition
Which Foodservice Channels have the best opportunities?
- Provides volume on 14 market segments.
- Category incidence and growth rate
How is my brand performing vs. competitors
- Provides market share based on pound volume
- Share Trends vs. performance on previous BEST surveys