Web-Shop Data Collection Methodology for Living Wage Calculations

Abstract

The unforeseen Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted economic activity and the typical way of life in ways unimagined. One such disruption was in the usual methods of surveying. With social distancing becoming the new norm, face-to-face methods of surveying have become a distant reality. Therefore, this project arose out of the need for an alternative method of price data collection. A team of 12 undergraduate students from FLAME University researched the cost of living through food prices listed in online stores in 103 countries for the Second Quarter of 2020. In this report, researchers have outlined the process and methodology, and the learnings, outcomes, and guidelines to facilitate further research in living wages and replicate the process on a quarterly or annual basis.