TNS Retail and Shopper harnesses the power of the shopper

That's where TNS comes in. Murning explains that the research company works with global and local clients to get the best possible shopper insights to address their retail or shopper specific business issues. These could be centred on channel development, making it easier and faster for shoppers to shop at shelf, or making shopping within a category easier.

TNS South Africa is optimally positioned to share best in class shopper insights gleaned locally, as well as from across the AMME region and globally. Murning is part of a team of 14 people from the TNS network around the world who share ideas and utilise what the company has come to know to be best practice within this area of insight. This is particularly useful for clients operating in the South African space, but also those potentially wanting to grow within Africa or globally, as it provides them with the most relevant insights to direct a winning in-store strategy.

However, Murning emphasises the importance of pushing clients to decide what their key challenges are. Shopper research is relatively new within the South African business context and it is tempting to want to know everything, without considering its relevance. She says this kind of client guidance can only come from truly identifying with and understanding each client and realising that the end goal is not simply to get a piece of research out, but to share real insights that speak to key business issues.

Murning ends that, thanks to TNS's dedicated shopper structure that works toward ensuring clients approach to this research in a more meaningful way, many clients have seen real benefits in the insights they have been provided with. When money previously wasted on unused or wasted POS material is now being saved, or ROI of trade marketing investment at store level is finally being maximised to really drive sales, there is little doubt of the importance of retail and shopper insights, or that TNS is a serious player in this field.

About TNS

TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and stakeholder management, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world's consumers than anyone else and understands individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.

TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups.

Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.

About Kantar

Kantar is the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. By connecting the diverse talents of its 13 specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 28,500 employees work across 100 countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the group to offer clients business insights at every point of the consumer cycle. The group's services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies.

For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com.