Discover how Litmus Partnership helped Affinity Learning Partnership run a compliant tender process for their catering contract across all schools within the trust.
Market Research
Independent competitor and high street market research helping organisations benchmark pricing, quality and offer to stay competitive and drive improvement.
Understanding Your customers
In a fast-changing marketplace, understanding how your offer compares to competitors is essential for maintaining relevance, value and customer loyalty.
Litmus Market Research provides organisations with independent insight into how their food, beverage and retail propositions perform against others — both within their sector and against the high street.
For education establishments, public sector clients and commercial operators alike, our research helps you understand what your customers are choosing elsewhere, how your pricing and offer compare, and where opportunities exist to strengthen your proposition.
How it works
Our Market Research service combines detailed data analysis with real-world observation to provide a clear, evidence-based view of your competitive landscape.
We tailor each study to your organisation’s objectives, drawing on our experience and data from across the UK catering, hospitality and retail sectors.
Typical research activities include:
- Competitor audits – comparing your food and beverage pricing, quality, range and presentation to equivalent offers nearby.
- High street pricing analysis – reviewing how your menus and price points compare to local or national high street brands.
- Consumer perception studies – gathering feedback to understand customer preferences and satisfaction drivers.
- Market trend reviews – identifying emerging trends that influence consumer choice and spending habits.
- Benchmark reporting – summarising findings in clear, visual dashboards with actionable recommendations.
Our research not only reveals how you compare today, but also what’s needed to stay competitive tomorrow.
What you'll gain
Litmus Market Research delivers independent, data-led insight that helps organisations:
- Understand their position in a competitive market.
- Identify gaps and opportunities in pricing, quality, or customer experience.
- Align offers more closely with consumer expectations.
- Stay ahead of market trends and competitor innovation.
- Support evidence-based strategic decisions with confidence.
The result is a stronger, more informed approach to menu development, pricing strategy and service design.
Example in practice
For several years, Litmus Partnership has provided high street pricing research to TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation), helping its members compare their university outlet pricing and offers against nearby cafés, restaurants and grab-and-go chains.
This ongoing research enables TUCO members to:
- Maintain competitive pricing.
- Improve menu appeal and positioning.
- Build a deeper understanding of high street trends that influence student choices.
The insights gained have directly informed pricing strategies and helped operators achieve the right balance between value and profitability.
Why choose the Litmus Partnership?
With over 30 years of experience in catering and facilities management consultancy, Litmus Partnership combines market knowledge with analytical precision.
Our independence means we deliver objective, evidence-based insights, not assumptions — helping clients make smarter commercial decisions that drive performance and customer satisfaction.
Whether you need a one-off competitor snapshot or ongoing high street monitoring, our market research helps you stay informed, agile and ahead of the curve.
Client Success Stories
Discover how we’ve helped organisations across education, healthcare, business and the public sector achieve measurable improvements in quality, efficiency and value.
Discover how Litmus Partnership helped Marlborough College approach a re-design of their historic dining space through consumer insights.
Discover how Litmus Partnership helped Marlborough College approach a re-design of their historic dining space through consumer insights.
Discover how Litmus Partnership helped Marlborough College approach a re-design of their historic dining space through consumer insights.
Discover how Litmus Partnership helped Marlborough College approach a re-design of their historic dining space through consumer insights.
Discover how Litmus Partnership helped Wellington College & Eagle House School successfully negotiate and improve their facilities services.
Insights And News
Stay informed with the latest industry insights, expert commentary and project updates from the Litmus Partnership team.
- EducationRead More
Benchmarking and performance – are you really in control of your school’s operational contracts?
- Consumer Insight | Education | Public SectorRead More
Coming Soon: A new Consumer Insight Programme for special schools
- Education | Public SectorRead More
Financial Awareness Day 2025: How schools can drive greater financial efficiency through smarter catering management
Take the next step
If you’d like to understand how your offer stacks up against the competition — and where opportunities exist to improve — our Market Research service can help.
Get in touch to discuss how we can design a tailored study that provides the insight you need to strengthen your performance.
Contact Us
We love to connect with business leaders that want to make a change. Contact our friendly team to request a no obligation chat about your current challenges and goals.