FAQ

Website and How to Use

Why WMStrategy?

Williams & Marshall Strategy (WMStrategy) has one of the most comprehensive catalogues of syndicated market research reports, published by a single company (more than 150,000 titles at the moment).

We prepare, publish and sell our own reports, allowing us to guarantee their value, unlike many other companies on the market. That also allows us a high degree of flexibility when it comes to customization requests and to fit your exact research requirements into a singular report.

In the same way, our sales team will help you save time and money by assisting you in finding the right report or getting a quote for ordering personalized one, tailored according to your exact specifications.

How to use WMStrategy’s website?

You can browse the store, which breaks down our catalogue into different industries, product and service groups, geographical coverage, or prices.

All products are assigned to categories to make it easier for you to find the products relevant to your interest. The store page shows top-level categories, which list the subcategories where products are allocated.

Because some product groups fall into multiple categories, you can also try a keyword search in the search field.

When you find the product group and geographical region of your interest, click on the title to view more extensive product information, including a description, table of contents, list of tables and figures, etc.

Furthermore, you can contact us for sample pages of the report, which will provide you with an in-depth picture of how the report is structured, the type of information it includes and how it is presented.

Also, every single one of our reports can be customized, according to your specific requirements. If you cannot find a market research report that works for you and your specific project, you can contact us and send us your requirements. We will make sure to respond with a detailed quotation within one working day of receiving the inquiry.

There is a search bar at the top of the Store. The search function helps you find reports through keywords in the title, abstract, description or table of contents. You can type the product group or industry name or a topic (e.g. ice cream in Germany) you want to search for.

You can also narrow down your search by industry, product groups or geographical region. You can then run the search by clicking the Search button. You can narrow down the search results by using the filter feature on the left side where the results can be narrowed down by category, price, publishing date, region covered or product groups.

By clicking on the checkbox buttons that apply to your requirements, the website will automatically refresh your results. To perform a quick search, you should enter the exact keywords for which you are looking.

By default, the quick search will return products which have all of the words you have typed (automatic “and” search). In this type of search, higher relevance is given to those products where your keywords appear more often. So, for best results, you should choose your keywords wisely.

By default, the search function of this website returns products that include all of your search terms. There is no need to include "and" between the terms. The order in which the terms are typed will affect the search results. You can also search for a phrase by typing the keywords in quotation marks (“”). For example, typing “cellular mattress” will only return products that include this phrase.

Contact us

Under the Contact Us section of this website, you can see more information as to how to best reach us. We will make sure to answer your emails within 1 working day of receiving them. Please, bear in mind that our customer service working hours are 07:00 – 17:00 CET.

Products and Services

Syndicated Reports

We currently offer more than 150,000 syndicated market research reports. All of them include a blend of quantitative and qualitative information on a wide range of markets and industries.

The market research reports are very detailed and the majority of them contain more than 100 pages. Each of our reports can be customized, according to your specific requirements to fit your unique needs. All of the reports sold on the website are prepared and published by us, which allows us to guarantee their value.

Product Inquiries

If you have any questions about any report or its content, you can contact our sales team by filling in a form or calling us.

When you find a product that interests you, right below the “Add to Cart” button you can find a “Have a question?” button. Click on it and fill in the form, we will answer your inquiry within one working day.

You can also use the form to request sample pages of the report. They will show you how the report is structured, its contents and how information is presented. Please, bear in mind that we can answer only product-related questions.

How to make sure you receive our response?

Our customer service team tries to respond to all inquiries within one working day. If you have not received an answer within this timeframe, it is very likely that it has been blocked by a spam filter or similar on your email program.

To make sure that you receive our emails, please whitelist our email domain - @wm-strategy.com. More information on how to whitelist us you can find in your email client program.

Also, if you find an email from us (@wm-strategy.com) in your spam/junk folder, please, make sure to hit the “not spam/junk” button and thus train your program to whitelist it.

How to keep up to date with the latest research in my industry/market?

There are two easy steps to keep up to date with the latest information regarding your market or industry.

Firstly, you may want to register with us and thus receive our free “New Reports” service. The service notifies you on the new products we publish regarding your market or industry. Also, it will make sure to notify you of any price promotions we have or plan to implement.

Secondly, you can send us a detailed inquiry and a member of our customer service team will answer all your questions on currently available products or the possibility to create some, tailored according to your specific requirements.

Are duty-free sales included in your reports?

Our reports usually exclude the sales generated through the duty-free channels.

Do your reports include retail audit data only?

Our reports cover all possible distribution channels within a given geographical region. These include both direct sales (e.g. retail sales) as well as information channels like outdoor markets. However, audit data is taken into account when calculating our research reports.

What is the frequency with which you update your reports?

All reports are annually updated. They are also updated as of the current month of purchase, which means that each client will receive the most up-to-date information about the market available at the moment of purchase.

The information our reports include is annual, so our reports cover the last full five years, calculated as per the month of purchase. For example, if a report is purchased in April 2020, it will cover the period 2015-2019 and will provide a forecast until 2025.

Registration and Accounts

Why should you register?

Users who make an account get access to the full product information, published on the website - report descriptions, tables of contents, and product characteristics. They can also receive the most recent updates and get the full lists of newly published reports, allowing first access to knowledge about new products, markets and industries.

Upon registration, users are provided with their own account, which enables easy access to all recently viewed categories and products for reference. In addition, registered users can easily place orders online and get complimentary search assistance from our sales team and research specialists.

How to register?

Registering with WMStrategy is easy. You simply have to visit the Registration Page under My Profile icon on the top right part of each page and simply enter your details. The next time you visit our website, you can use the details you created at registration to log in by selecting the link to Login under My Profile icon. By entering the email address and password that you provided at registration, you can login to our website and use all of its advantages.

What to do if you forgot your password?

In case you forgot your password, you can request a new password and it will be sent to the email address you used as your username. You can also contact our customer service team for assistance with anything regarding your account information.

How can you change your account information?

You can change your account information by going to the My Profile section — there’s a link to it at the right top of every page on our website. If you have any questions about making account changes, feel free to contact us directly.

Updating your information will make sure you receive all our updates, promotions, and stay up to date with new reports within your industry.

Ordering and Delivery

What types of delivery formats are available?

Most of the products sold in the store are off-the-shelf market research reports. They are all digital products, dispatched right to your email address as PDF and Excel files. The reports come in three different licenses, found right next to the picture on each product page. The main difference among the license types is the number of people allowed to read and use the report. These are:

  • Single-user license – a single person can read and use the report, and cannot be distributed to anyone else;
  • Office license – up to five people in one office of the purchasing company can use the report. For example, an office in Germany buys a report and is not allowed to send it to other company offices worldwide;
  • Corporate license – an unlimited number of people from different geographical offices of the purchasing company can use the report. For example, an office in Germany buys the report and can send it to their colleagues in New York, Tokyo or Australia. Corporate licenses also include an Excel file with all the tables from the report, which allows you to easily manipulate the report data and put it in your own corporate system.

How to order a report?

You can order a report in two ways — online or by phone.

Online orders are the easiest and fastest. After you find the market report you want to purchase, on the product page, select the license you need and click the “Add to Cart” button to add the report to your shopping cart. Then, you will be forwarded to your personal shopping cart page from where you can either check out and finalize your purchase, or continue browsing our catalogue.

How to access your shopping cart?

When you add products to your cart, you can review everything inside by clicking the checkout cart button on the top right part of our website.

How to edit the contents of the cart?

On your shopping cart page you can amend the quantity of products you would like to purchase. You can do this by selecting the desired number from the quantity option right next to the chosen product’s price in the cart. There, you can also remove a product by clicking on the remove button.

How to check out?

When you are ready and sure everything you need is in your shopping cart, click the “Proceed to Checkout” button on the right. You have two main options.

The first one allows you to order quickly as a guest (no need to register in our platform) – simply choose your preferred payment method and enter your details.

The second one includes purchasing as a registered user. You will have to either log into your account or create a new account.

Both options then require you to fill in your information (Customer information, Billing information, and Payment information) and confirm your order.

You can also make a quick checkout with PayPal through the checkout with PayPal option. It will redirect you to PayPal’s website, where you can finalize your payment. You have two options. You can either log into your PayPal account and finalize the purchase through it (if you are a registered PayPal user) or you can directly enter your details (Country, Card details, Billing address, and Contact information) to finalize your payment and confirm your order.

Order by phone

Ordering by phone is another option you can choose. You can either call us directly or request us to call you back. You can get in touch with us through the Contact Us page and a member of our team will help you to confirm your order.

Bank payment/Wire transfer

If you would like to make a bank payment/wire transfer through an invoice for your order, get in touch with us through the Contact Us page and a member of our team will prepare all the needed documentation for you.

Problems with ordering

If you have any problems with ordering, please, do not hesitate to contact us using the Contact Us page.

How secure is the online ordering process?

WMStrategy is committed to providing a secure and safe environment for all our online transactions. Therefore, it might be necessary for our team to request certain information from you before finalizing an order. The information is usually requested, so that we can confirm the cardholder authenticity. We use this information to verify that the cardholder is the actual person, who is ordering the product.

We would like to ask you to enter your corporate email when placing an order and to make sure you include all the details necessary for the invoice. This will allow our team to process your order as quickly and efficiently as possible.

WMStrategy would like to assure you that we have taken all the necessary steps to protect your and your credit/debit card’s identity. When an order is placed on our website, all the information entered is encrypted using SSL Encryption. This technology guarantees privacy and safeguards all the information.

An additional security measure we have taken when finalizing online orders is using CVV numbers (the last three digits on the signature strip of the credit/debit card used) to guard against card fraud. We reserve the right in some cases to phone or email the cardholder to confirm the transaction prior to dispatch.

What payment methods are available?

You can finalize your order through a number of payment methods, namely:

  • Credit/Debit card - easiest and the fastest payment method. We accept VISA, Mastercard, Maestro, Diners Club and American Express. We will prepare and send you a receipt through email once your payment has been processed;
  • Bank/Wire transfer - after your order has been placed — either online or via phone — an official invoice will be sent to your email. The invoice will include all the necessary bank details;
  • Company check - after your order is placed - either online or via phone - an official invoice will be emailed to you. If you want to pay via wire transfer or company check, please, contact us for more information as to where exactly to send the check along with reference to your exact order number, which will be emailed to you at the time your order is placed.
  • PayPal - you can choose PayPal as your payment method during the checkout process by selecting the Checkout with PayPal option.

What is a CVV number and where to find it?

CVV is an anti-fraud security feature in credit/debit cards used to help verify that the cardholder is the exact person making a purchase.

For Visa and Mastercard cards, the three-digit CVV number is placed on the signature panel on the back of the card right after the card’s account number.

For American Express, the four-digit CVV number is placed on the front of the card above the card account number.

How to get an invoice for an order?

After you place your order, either online or via phone, an invoice will be emailed to the email address provided when making the purchase. As soon as an order has been placed and the payment for it has been received, our team will arrange the dispatch of your order. Please, bear in mind that no order will be dispatched until the payment for it has been received in full.

How will the products be delivered?

Electronic copies of regular reports are usually delivered through email in up to five working days after order and payment receipt.

The terms and conditions of the different products on our website vary, so make sure to read carefully all the information in the product page. In case you require additional customization, preparing it might take some time, which you will be notified about by our team.

To make sure you receive all the emails that we send you, please, whitelist our e-mail address domain - @wm-strategy.com. More information on whitelisting email addresses can be found under the question How to make sure you receive our response.

When to expect to receive your order?

Due to the various time zones, the timeline for delivery for each individual client can vary. However, we are doing our best to deliver our market research reports in up to five working days after order and payment receipt.

Our electronic products are printable, which makes it unnecessary for us to send printed copies of them and thus make our clients wait more to receive their orders physically.

To make sure you receive all the emails that we send you, please, whitelist our email address domain - @wm-strategy.com.

Why should I wait five days to receive my report?

Our methodology includes carrying out expert interviews with representatives of some of the main companies on the market. They help us cross-check our findings, fill in any gaps in our analyses, look for and confirm trends, opportunities and threats on the market and build our forecasts.

Most of our syndicated reports are dispatched up to five working days after report confirmation. This is due to the fact that we need some time to schedule, implement, and analyze our market expert interviews (usually, five to seven expert interviews per report). Our market experts are engaged in their work full-time, so the actual scheduling of the expert interviews usually takes time. To compensate our clients for the waiting, we are able to include certain report amendments or customizations at no extra cost.

In the same way, the five working days is a maximum timeframe, and we are usually able to dispatch our reports within three working days after order confirmation. In addition, we can send you an Excel file with all the quantitative data from a certain report in up to one working day after order confirmation, which allows you to start working with the data right away.

Last but not least, by request, we can start working on a certain project before the payment for it has been received. Feel free to contact us for more information.

What is WM Strategy’s cancellation policy?

All products we sell are information-based and as such they are effectively consumed as they are purchased. That is why, in general, WMStrategy cannot accept the cancellation of any order once it has been placed and processed. When placing an order with WMStrategy, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

What is WM Strategy’s return policy?

All products we sell are information-based and as such they are effectively consumed as they are purchased. This makes the products hard to return or refund. That is why, we do not accept returns nor do we refund any already fulfilled orders. Make sure to read all the available information in the product page and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Does WMStrategy require payment before order dispatch?

All products we sell are information-based and as such they are effectively consumed as they are purchased. Due to the nature of the products we sell, we always require payment before dispatching our syndicated reports. No dispatch happens until the payment for an order is received. Special terms and conditions apply to multiple orders and customized reports. Feel free to contact us for more information. 

What currency can be used to pay for an order?

To help our clients, this website allows checking out in EUR, USD or GBP. You can select your preferred currency from the currency drop down on the top right corner of our website. If necessary, we can provide an invoice into another currency, based on the client’s specific requirements.

General Questions

Does WMStrategy provide press copies or free copies of their products?

At the moment, we do not offer any press copies or any free copies of any of our products. Press representatives are welcome to contact us and see whether and how we can be of assistance.

Does WMStrategy provide any academic discounts?

At the moment, we do not offer any academic discounts on any products of our catalogue. We suggest that academia representatives approach one of the companies in the relevant industry and see whether they might be willing to purchase the product for them as part of a sponsorship package.

Does WMStrategy offer discounts?

WMStrategy does offer discounts, which are usually granted on a case by case basis, depending on the type and size of the order the client is planning. Feel free to contact us for more information and a member of our team will check whether any discount can be offered for your specific case.

Does WMStrategy offer for sale only chapters/sections of the syndicated reports?

At the moment, we sell products only in their entirety. This is done to make sure that our clients receive a wide and deep market and industry analysis and no information is taken out of context.

How do I share a report with a colleague?

You may share the product pages with your peers using the share item button on each product page. The share item button is located right next to the product pricing options and the sharing can happen through the social networks.

What is the difference between single-country and regional reports?

The main difference between single-country and regional reports is connected with the exact geographical focus of the research.

The single-country reports focus on one country only, while the regional reports focus on a few countries at the same time.

The regional reports include quantitative information on both the region as aggregate as well as breakdowns for each of the countries, analyzed in them. These breakdowns are provided for each major indicator, covered in the report.

Why is it good that you sell only your reports?

The fact that we sell only our own reports allows us to guarantee the high quality of our products. Often, companies which sell the products of many different publishers do not have the possibility to monitor and evaluate the quality of each individual product they sell. With us this problem does not exist, as we are able to monitor the quality of each individual report we prepare and sell.

In addition, we can easily connect each client with the exact team that worked on their report and make sure all the client’s questions are answered in a professional and timely manner. This also allows us to offer customization for each individual product we prepare as well as to offer special discounts for bundle purchases or for repeated business.

Where to find the exact definitions of the products, included in each report?

Brief definitions of each product group are included in each report in the Introduction chapter. A more detailed definition is provided in the Product characteristics chapter. If you would like a definition before making a purchase, feel free to contact us for more information.

What is the difference between RSP and MSP?

RSP stands for retail selling price. This is the end price to the consumer, which includes retailer and wholesaler margins as well as sales tax and excise taxes.

MSP stands for manufacturer selling price. This is the sales value at ex-factory price (thus minus sales tax, VAT, retailer and wholesaler margins, etc.).

What is the difference between on-trade and off-trade?

Both terms are mostly used in reference to the sales of alcoholic drinks. However, in the last few years, the terms are more and more used for the whole food and beverage industry.

On-trade includes the sales of food and beverages through different business establishments, including the HoReCa channels - hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and other catering businesses.

The off-trade includes the sales of food and beverages through different retail outlets. These may include: supermarkets and hypermarkets, discounters, convenience stores, small grocery stores, forecourt retailers, specialist retailers, other grocery and non-grocery retailers, vending machines, online retailers, home shopping retailers, and direct selling retailers.

What is the difference between GBO and NBO?

GBO stands for global brand owner and literally means the ultimate owner of a brand.

NBO stands for national brand owner and is used to refer to producers (company’s own brand or under license) or distributors of a certain brand.

What is CAGR?

CAGR stands for compound annual growth rate. The term refers to the annual average growth, calculated in percentage terms for the analyzed period (can be either historic or forecast).

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