Market research
in Senegal
Consumer research, customer experience, data intelligence, media intelligence and opinion: how IMMAR supports advertisers, agencies and institutions in the Senegalese market since 1999.
The Senegalese market at a glance
Senegal is a stable market and a regional services hub in French-speaking West Africa, with Dakar concentrating most of the economic activity. Its food retail has been transforming fast since the 2010s: modern retail is developing strongly (Auchan, now one of the main players, and local chains such as EDK), alongside proximity and informal trade that remains central. The country stands out for a mobile-money revolution, where Wave disrupted the market, and for a growing urban middle class whose consumption habits are evolving. Dakar also hosts many regional and international organisations.
Conducting research in Senegal: what matters in the field
Running reliable research in the Senegalese market means taking several realities into account:
- Wolof, a key language: French is official, but Wolof is the dominant lingua franca, spoken by the vast majority, alongside Pulaar and Serer. Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
- A transforming distribution: modern retail is growing fast in Dakar (Auchan, EDK), while coexisting with proximity and informal trade that remains central. Both channels must be measured.
- Highly developed mobile money: with Wave and Orange Money, mobile payment is a consumption behaviour in its own right and facilitates mobile collection.
- Concentration in Dakar: the Dakar area accounts for most consumption, which shapes sampling.
- A growing urban middle class: evolving eating and consumption habits call for fine segmentation of targets.
- Regional and institutional hub: Dakar, the base of many regional organisations and West African offices, lends itself to multi-country as well as institutional studies.
The sectors IMMAR covers in Senegal
In the Senegalese market, IMMAR supports players across several sectors, with set-ups tailored to each:
- FMCG: consumer understanding, brand tracking, retail execution
- Retail: mystery shopping, shopper studies, in-store execution
- Banking, finance and mobile money: trust, customer experience, mobile-payment adoption
- Telecommunications: customer experience, network quality, brand image
- Media: audience, editorial intelligence, ad monitoring
A response built around your question
Every assignment starts with a question, posed by an advertiser, an agency, an institution or a local player. That question shapes which expertise is brought to bear. IMMAR brings together five complementary areas:
| Area of expertise | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Consumer Research | Quantitative and qualitative studies, panels, U&A, segmentation: understanding local behaviours, needs and usage |
| Customer Experience | NPS, CSAT, mystery shopping, network audits: measuring the service quality actually delivered |
| Data Intelligence & AI | Data analysis and activation, decision dashboards, modelling |
| Media Intelligence | Media monitoring, audience measurement, ad monitoring, social listening |
| Opinion & Society | Barometers, opinion studies, societal and institutional dynamics |
A market research or Market Intelligence project in the Senegalese market?
Talk to an IMMAR expertFrequently asked questions
How do you conduct market research in Senegal?
Administer instruments in the language actually spoken (French, and above all Wolof), measure both the fast-growing modern retail in Dakar and proximity trade, and account for the central role of mobile money. IMMAR deploys local teams and long-standing field knowledge.
Which language should studies be conducted in?
French is official, but Wolof is the dominant lingua franca, spoken by the vast majority, alongside Pulaar and Serer. Wolof is often essential for mass-market targets. Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
How does mobile money shape research in Senegal?
Senegal is one of West Africa's most advanced mobile-money markets, where Wave deeply disrupted the market against Orange Money. Mobile payment is a consumption behaviour in its own right that studies must factor in, and it facilitates mobile collection.
Why is the Senegalese market strategic?
It is a stable market and a regional services hub in French-speaking West Africa, with Dakar concentrating activity and hosting many regional organisations. Its fast-transforming retail, its lead in mobile money and its growing urban middle class make it a strategic market, well suited to both consumer and institutional studies.
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