THE REPORTING PERIOD FOR A CONSUMER PURCHASE PANEL.

This article discusses the preferred time in reporting for the survey technique known as the consumer purchase panel. The author believes that while weekly reporting of purchasing is preferable, it is not always practical. Many panels report on a monthly basis to minimize cost, to get a better understanding of purchasing trends, and minimize missed reports. A further factor the author believes that affects the preferred reporting period involves the continuity of the report. He feels that the reduced cost associated with monthly reporting may allow a firm to keep more continuous reports. The author believes that while more research is needed in the area of the reporting period for a consumer purchase panel, early research tends to favor continuous reporting over discontinuous.