What service does the Homescan consumer panel provide?

The Homescan consumer panel, which as of 2015 is named the National Consumer Panel, provides longitudinal data on a representative sample of United States residents. Through the use of handheld electronic scanning devices, panelists provide information on their purchases to National Consumer Panel for analysis.

National Consumer Panel was formed by the merger or IRI and Nielson. Panelists are required to scan every purchase; data sent to the panel includes the number of items bought, purchase price and store location. This data is then sent to marketing companies and other clients. For their time, panelists receive points that can be redeemed for prizes.