Want to Test Products? Contact The Consumer Center

Have you ever been intrigued by how companies find out which flavors taste the best, or what color packaging they should use to promote their products? 

Or maybe you just like to taste and test all sorts of items, like cheese and chocolate or shavers and lotions?

If you fall into either category, then you should know about The Consumer Center of Mid-Florida, a market research company located on Phillippe Parkway in downtown Safety Harbor. 

“We do market research, focus groups and taste tests here,” facility director Christiana Frerichs explains. 

“We get a call from a company that wants opinions of consumers about their products ... and we go through our database and pull out people in the groups.” 

And with a terrific reputation in the business and a sizable database, The Consumer Center has remained successful for nearly two decades.

The Business of Testing Products 

Market research is obviously a big part of how companies learn what products will be successful and why people buy certain items. 

That’s where The Consumer Center comes in to play. 

Founded 18 years ago by a woman who wanted to establish a business in Safety Harbor, the company has been successful at fostering a reputation among its clients for being an excellent provider of volunteers, called respondents. 

“Our clients are clear across the board,” Frerichs says. “Some are major corporations, some are small companies.” 

“I’m not in direct contact with the clients. I’m like the middleman,” she adds. “But obviously we’re doing something right, we’ve been here for 18 years.” 

No Shortage of Applicants 

Once they have an idea of what kind of respondents the client is looking for, The Consumer Center employees cull their database, which consists of over 20,000 names, to find the right ones to form the focus groups. 

“The people go through a screening process to see if they qualify for the study,” Frerichs said. “If they do qualify, they will be invited to do a study ... and they will get paid for their time spent to give an opinion.” 

The study times range from 15-20 minutes up to a few days or weeks for an in-home study, and the compensation can vary from $25 to $30 all the way up to thousands of dollars, depending on the study. 

Needless to say there is no shortage of people willing to sign up for this privilege. 

“We don’t advertise. We have people calling every day to participate,” Frerichs says.

"The good thing about this is people don't hang up on us," project manager Beth Stona adds. "They come to us."

Can I Sign Up for This? 

Although they already have a large number of respondents, The Consumer Center is always looking for more applicants. 

Frerichs and Stona stress that anyone is welcome to sign up to be a participant; what they don’t guarantee is when, or if, you will be called or what you will be paid. 

“Anyone interested in being a market research participant can call us,” Stona says. 

“Many times people can’t believe we pay them,” she adds “They say, “You want me to eat all this chocolate, and you’re going to pay me?’ And we say yes, you will be compensated.”

To apply to be a respondent at The Consumer Center, call 727-726-0844 or visit their website.