🎲 What is sampling?
Big Idea: Sampling means selecting a small group of people to represent the whole market. You can't ask everyone, so you pick a sample and hope their answers reflect the bigger picture! 🧑🤝🧑
Why sample?
- Researching the entire market would be too expensive and slow
- A well-chosen sample can give reliable results
- The bigger and more representative the sample, the better the data
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📋 Types of sampling
Convenience sampling
- Choosing whoever is easiest to reach (e.g. people walking past your shop)
- ✅ Fast and cheap
- ❌ Not representative — results may be biased
Random sampling
- Everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being selected
- ✅ Reduces bias — more representative
- ❌ Can be time-consuming and expensive to organise
Quota sampling
- The researcher sets quotas for specific groups (e.g. 50 men and 50 women)
- ✅ Ensures key groups are represented
- ❌ Selection within each group may still be biased
Stratified sampling
- The population is divided into subgroups, then random samples are taken from each
- ✅ Very representative — reflects the actual market structure
- ❌ Requires detailed knowledge of the population
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🤔 Choosing a sampling method
- Low budget and need quick results? → Convenience sampling
- Need unbiased, fair representation? → Random sampling
- Want specific groups represented? → Quota or stratified sampling
- Large target market? → Random or stratified
- Small niche market? → Convenience may be enough
Exam tip: When discussing sampling, always explain WHY that method suits the specific business — don't just describe the method!