Definition Test market
A test market is a city that, due to its socio-demographic structure, mirrors the behaviors or attitudes of a whole population in a survey.
These kinds of locations are interesting, because, in a relatively small space, they allow us to study cause and effect relationships and to transfer this knowledge to the whole population. Test markets are therefore frequently used in consumer research – new products usually appear here first on the shelves of supermarkets, in order to test their popularity. Albany, NY is such a test market, as is Peoria, IL.
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