In this assignment, I will be explaining the limitations of marketing research used to contribute to the development of Waitrose´s marketing plans. Sampling is the statistical method of obtaining representative data or observations from a group of people that is assumed will match the total populations by organizations. The total population is necessarily everyone in the country, but rather anyone who might be interested in buying the product. There are some types of sampling and they are Random Quota Stratified Systematic Cluster Convenience Random sampling is the basic sampling technique where an organization selects a sample for study from a larger group (a population).
Everyone is chosen entirely by chance and each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample. Quota sampling is the sampling method of gathering representative data from a group. This sampling requires that representative individuals are chosen out of a specific subgroup Stratified sampling is a type of sampling method in which the total population is divided into smaller groups or strata to complete the sampling process Systematic sampling is the method of choosing a random sample from among a larger population. The process of systematic sampling typically involves first selecting a fixed starting point in the larger population and then obtaining subsequent observations by using a constant interval between samples taken. Some limitations of systematic sampling will be that it works well only if there is a random population, if there is a hidden trait in the population the data gathered will be compromised. This type of sampling does not provide 100% accurate information on the condition of the batch. Systematic sampling also limits the number of participants that can participate because it will not be suitable for large population.
Another way Systematic sampling can limit the research of Waitrose will be that some of the populations will be expensive and time consuming even if there is a ready list since there will be different ways in which they can be found, and they will be challenging, and the samples can also be geographically scattered. Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where subjects are selected because of their convenient accessibility and proximity to the researcher. This type of sampling can limit Waitrose because it could lead to a possible bias in the gathering of data. This is because it will get the views of a group of people and not the whole population and so the quality of the data collected can be affected if there is an over or under representation of a group of people. Waitrose´s will also experience sampling errors. This is because since the results are already biased, there will be some inaccuracies in the data collected.
Another way convenience sampling can limit Waitrose in their data collection is that there will be no generalized results. This is because they will not be able to conclude with their data research since it is biased, and it will not be possible to formulate rules for this type of research. Cluster sampling is the sampling method is used in statistics when natural groups are present in a population.
The whole population is subdivided into clusters, or groups, and random samples are then collected from each group. The limitations of cluster sampling are very similar to convenience sampling. This is because the individuals in the clusters will have different characteristics and the researcher might have over or under represented clusters which will give a biased result on the data. There will also be the problem of high sampling errors. This is because there will be limited clusters and biased data in the research.
