Network Panama
Qualitative market research agency in Panama
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Panama, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to UX research and mystery shopping, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Panama has 4.58 million people, 70.4 per cent of them in urban areas, and 78.4 per cent use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Panama City is a banking and logistics centre where regional headquarters, expatriate managers and Panamanian households share the same malls. A study there starts by saying which Panama it needs: the city, the provinces, or the regional office.
AT A GLANCE
Panama at a glance for researchers
- Population. 4.58 million people, median age 30.3, 70.4 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Panama City and its metropolitan area hold close to half the population, and the capital is far larger than David, Santiago or Colón. The canal corridor between Panama City and Colón is the country's economic axis.
- Languages. Spanish for consumer sessions. English is common in banking, shipping and regional headquarters, and Ngäbere and Guna are spoken in the indigenous comarcas. Our moderators live in Panama and work in Spanish and English. Stimulus is prepared in the language of each session.
- Internet and mobile. 3.60 million internet users, 78.4 per cent of the population, and 4.85 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Home broadband is far faster than mobile data, with a median download speed of 185.94 Mbps against 32.43 Mbps (same source), so video sessions are booked on a home or office line.
- Where fieldwork happens. Panama City first, then David in Chiriquí for the west and Colón on the Caribbean side. The central provinces are covered from Santiago or Chitré, and the comarcas are planned as their own fieldwork.
- Data protection. Law No. 81 of 26 March 2019 on personal data protection applies. Each participant agrees in advance to what is recorded and to its purpose.
- Timing. November is the month of national holidays, with five public holidays between the 3rd and the 28th, and little fieldwork fits in it. Carnival closes the country for the four days before Ash Wednesday, and Holy Week and the second half of December are quiet.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Panama?
In Panama, the same shopping centre serves a Panamanian family, a manager posted from abroad and a shopper visiting from elsewhere in the region. A study says which of them it is about before anyone is recruited. The three answer differently on price, on brands and on what they expect from service, and a mixed group hides all of it.
- Residents, expatriates and regional buyers. Panamanian households, expatriate professionals and visiting shoppers differ in income, language and what they came for. Each is recruited on purpose, and the report keeps them apart. The screener records nationality, years in Panama and where the household does its main shopping.
- Prices in dollars. The US dollar circulates as the currency, at par with the balboa. Stimulus shows dollar prices at Panamanian shelf levels, which differ from those of Miami, and they are checked in the shops in the week before fieldwork. Offers that depend on a loyalty card or a bank promotion are shown as shoppers meet them.
- Regional decision-makers. Many companies run their Central American and Caribbean business from Panama City. B2B interviews with regional managers are booked one by one, around their travel, with role and remit checked first. The moderator asks which country each answer is about.
- City and interior. Panama City and the provinces of the interior differ in income, retail and pace. A national read adds David or the central provinces, each recruited by people who live there, and online sessions reach smaller towns. The comarcas are reached in person, with a local guide and the agreement of community authorities.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Panama?
- We recruit through local partners in Panama City, David and Colón, by district, household, income and category use. Each participant is confirmed by phone or message the day before the session. Quotas are agreed with you before recruitment starts, city by city.
- Senior and regional profiles are approached directly, and employer, role and remit are checked before the interview is booked. Anyone who works for a competitor of yours is screened out.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Panama?
Most studies in Panama run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with UX research, mystery shopping or shop-alongs when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Banking, logistics and regional managers, and private consumer subjects | A regional manager who speaks for five countries at once |
| Focus groups | Concepts, food, drink and communications in Panama City | Residents and expatriates mixed in one group |
| UX research | Banking and payment apps, tested with Yappy and local cards | Flows built for another country's identity documents |
| Mystery shopping | Malls, bank branches, car dealerships and airline counters | Shoppers who are not real customers of the category |
| Shop-alongs | Supermarkets, malls and neighbourhood shops | Duty-free and regular retail read as one market |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Panama
How much does market research cost in Panama?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Panama added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Senior regional profiles, who are few and travel often, move the price more than consumer sessions do. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Panama?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Panamanian fieldwork company fits a survey or a store audit. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Panama that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Can you interview regional decision-makers in Panama?
Yes. Many companies run their Central American and Caribbean business from Panama City. Each candidate is approached directly, role and remit are checked before booking, and interviews run in Spanish or English, online or in person, around the manager's travel. Interviews last as long as the manager can give, and the guide puts the questions that matter most first.
Is Panama City enough for research in Panama, or should I add the provinces?
Panama City is enough for a first read: close to half the country lives in its metropolitan area. For a national decision, add David or the central provinces, where income and retail differ, and plan the comarcas as their own fieldwork when your customers live there. Colón is added for studies about trade, logistics or the Caribbean side.
When should I avoid fieldwork in Panama?
In November, when five public holidays fall between the 3rd and the 28th, during the four days of Carnival and in Holy Week. The second half of December is quiet. Outside those periods the calendar is open. We check the dates of Carnival with you, because they move each year.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Panama told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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