Field Agent (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Market research, Retail analytics |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Rick West, Henry Ho, Kelly Miller |
| Headquarters | Fayetteville , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, United Kingdom |
Key people | Rick West (co-founder) |
Number of employees | 60+ |
Field Agent, Inc. is a privately held enterprise based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Established in 2010 by Rick West, Henry Ho, and Kelly Miller, the company utilizes crowdsourcing through consumers' smartphones to deliver in-store imagery, retail analytics, and shopper intelligence to consumer packaged goods firms, retailers, and marketing agencies.
Via its mobile application, designated "agents" perform various assignments including audits of in-store displays, price verification, stock availability checks, competitive analysis, and mystery shopping activities. These tasks generally offer compensation ranging from $2 to $12 each and often require photo evidence along with survey responses. Additionally, Field Agent's crowdsourcing system powers Jicco, a retail-focused search engine that supplies businesses with instant access to store images and data.
The application has been downloaded approximately one million times within the United States alone. Field Agent extends its operations to several international markets such as Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Employing over 60 staff members, the organization is dedicated to providing up-to-the-minute retail evaluations and shopper insights to improve market research outcomes for its clientele.
History
Founded in 2009 by Rick West, Henry Ho, and Kelly Miller, Field Agent emerged from the insight that smartphones like the iPhone 3GS could revolutionize the collection of location-based retail information. West highlighted that smartphone users could bypass conventional retail data collection obstacles.
The company's mobile app debuted on the App Store on April 17, 2010, rapidly reaching 3,000 downloads within just 20 minutes. In 2013, Field Agent raised $2.5 million during its Series A funding round and subsequently received a $2 million capital infusion from Five Elms Capital based in Kansas City.