Discover i-Panel (iPanel): Intage Vietnam’s New Tech-based Research Solution

iPanel INTAGE is INTAGE Vietnam’s shopper panel and consumer behavior data platform for understanding real FMCG purchase behavior in Vietnam. It helps teams analyze baskets, receipts, channels, category performance, repeat purchase, switching, and consumer trends from observed buying activity.

Related data source: Explore iPanel INTAGE Vietnam for shopper panel data, receipt tracking, barcode scanning and FMCG purchase behavior in Vietnam.

In the ever-evolving market research landscape, Intage Vietnam and Intage Techniverse introduce i-Panel, a shopper panel for studying recorded purchase behavior in five major Vietnamese cities. Members submit receipt images and product barcode scans through a mobile application, and the records are used to follow purchase behavior over time.

1. Why Intage Vietnam Developed i-Panel

1.1. Demand for Ongoing Purchase Data

INTAGE Vietnam saw that businesses need ongoing purchase data across categories and channels. i-Panel addresses this by recording panel members’ purchases over time; INTAGE’s product description specifies daily data updates.

1.2. Part of the INTAGE Group

INTAGE Vietnam has been a member of the INTAGE Group since 2011. In Japan, the Group’s research company INTAGE Inc. runs SCI® (Nationwide Consumer Panel Survey), which INTAGE Inc. describes as collecting daily shopping data from consumers across Japan. i-Panel is a separate panel in Vietnam, with its own sample design and quality checks.

1.3. Technology in Recording and Processing

i-Panel uses technology to record purchases and process the records. INTAGE Techniverse, a technology group under INTAGE Vietnam, describes its Scan C receipt-capture product as using AI, machine learning, automation and cloud systems to capture and transcribe receipt information, with RPA used to clean and structure the data before it is posted to a Power BI reporting dashboard. INTAGE Vietnam’s iPanel page describes receipt processing as optical character recognition, automated product mapping and data checks, followed by quality-control review.

2. What is i-Panel?

i-Panel is a shopper panel. Its published design describes 6,000 active shoppers and 600 backup shoppers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho. Members record purchases as they shop, and INTAGE’s product description specifies daily data updates. The data describes recorded purchase behavior within the covered panel; it is not a census of every transaction in the market.

Key Features of i-Panel (iPanel):

• Advanced Data Collection Methods

i-Panel members record purchases through a mobile application; at launch, this was the Scan C application from INTAGE Techniverse. Members photograph receipts and, for purchases without a printed receipt, scan product barcodes. INTAGE Techniverse describes Scan C as using AI, machine learning and automation to capture and transcribe receipt information. Receipt images and product scans reduce dependence on recall, while completeness and product coding still require quality checks.

• Interactive Data Dashboard

The interactive dashboard, built on Power BI, organizes purchase records with filters and presents them in charts, graphs and tables. Analysis can go down to SKU level where the records provide enough observations.

3. How i-Panel Works

i-Panel data is collected and processed as follows:

3.1. i-Panel (iPanel) Design

i-Panel is designed to collect consistent purchase data in five major cities. The panel covers Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho. It comprises 6,000 active shoppers (plus 600 backup members), with panel quotas by gender, age, marital status and personal income.

3.2. Data Collection Process

Members submit receipt images and product barcode scans through the Scan C application. Receipt images are processed using optical character recognition, automated product mapping and data checks, and a quality-control team reviews unusual patterns and exceptions.

3.3. Outputs

Results are delivered through an interactive Power BI dashboard. INTAGE’s product description specifies daily data updates; the latest complete reporting period and the timing of quality checks should be confirmed for each delivery.

How detailed can i-Panel data be?

• Data can be reported down to SKU level where the records support that detail.
• Data will be separated into many headers, easy to filter & view by group.
• Details down to each Shopping Basket, each Retail Chain.
• Data is updated daily.

Automation helps turn submitted records into structured purchase data, but it does not make every observation error-free: unreadable receipts, incomplete records, product coding and duplicate submissions still need checks. For example, a retail company could use i-Panel records to compare shopper profiles, baskets and channels within the covered panel before planning marketing activities.

4. i-Panel vs. Traditional Research Methods

When comparing i-Panel to traditional research methods, there are several key differences:

• Continuity: panel members record purchases on an ongoing basis, so the same shoppers can be followed over time instead of being asked once.
• Recorded evidence: receipt images and barcode scans reduce dependence on recall; completeness and product coding still require quality checks.
• Scope and limits: findings describe recorded behavior within the five-city panel; reasons, needs and perceptions still require interviews or surveys.

5. Using i-Panel Alongside Other Research

i-Panel measures recorded purchase behavior, not opinions. When a decision requires reasons, unmet needs or perceptions, interviews, surveys or qualitative research can complement the purchase records. Panel trends can inform a decision; they do not establish causation by themselves.

Before commissioning an analysis, share the category, brands, target shoppers, cities, channels and reporting period with INTAGE Vietnam, and confirm the active sample, base sizes, update timing and deliverable scope for your question.

Ready to unlock the power of i-Panel for your business?  Contact Intage Vietnam today for expert consultation and unlock the potential for deeper market understanding, data-driven decision-making, and sustained success.

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