InfoGuides: Entrepreneurship: Industry & Market Research

Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 9:39 AM

Industry & Market Research Overview

There are a number of library resources available for industry and market research. A few things to keep in mind:

Is my product/service for the consumer (b2c) or for a business (b2b)?
Is my product/service sold in the U.S. only or in other countries?

Note that different resources offered through the library cover different audiences and different geographies. For b2c use Mintel and Passport. For b2b use NetAdvantage and First Research.

Industry and market research is extremely expensive because of the expertise and time that goes into gathering, analyzing and presenting information. We buy access to a lot of research but not everything. You will discover on the web many other resources we cannot afford which is exactly the same situation that happens when running a business.

Market & Industry Research

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
B2B and B2C! Understanding what is in the IBISWorld Reports.
Mintel This link opens in a new window
Consumer market research and analyst insights for the US primarily with limited insights coverage for other countries. Create an account to take advantage of downloading options. Once an account is created enter the product using the regular link above and log into your account using the account settings icon (a head) on the far right. NOTE: Our subscription does not permit the use or uploading of Mintel content or data into external applications, software or websites that use AI technology.
Passport This link opens in a new window
Consumer lifestyle and consumer industry market research reports for countries around the globe. Also includes downloadable economic, population, income, product and lifestyle data as well as company info. Passport Help Guides and Videos B2C only

First Research
Use First Research for business to business market research. These are short reports from Dun & Bradstreet. Add the search and ti(industry word) to the search string.

Investext This link opens in a new window
Financial analyst reports on companies and industries. Mainly publicly traded companies. B2C and B2B
Richard K. Miller Marketing Reports This link opens in a new window
Market research for select topics: business to business marketing, gaming, consumer behavior, consumer marketing, consumer use of the internet, sports marketing, healthcare, retailing, leisure market, entertainment & advertising, restaurants, travel & tourism. B2C and B2B

Market Share Reporter
"Market share reports on U.S. and international markets compiled from periodical literature, providing a unique resource for competitive analysis, diversification planning, marketing research, and other forms of economic and policy analysis"
Market Share Articles in ProQuest
Mentions of "market shares" in trades, magazines, and newspapers. Tweak search with names of companies and brands.