Purpose 1) To assess the usage of CAQDAS (Computer Assisted Qualitative Data AnalysiS) in the UK market research industry, and 2) To evaluate the use of CAQDAS as a supplement to paper-coding in market research. Design/methodology/approach CAQDAS usage was assessed by a questionnaire, sent to a sample of 400 UK market researchers. The second part of the research is a case study of a research experiment. We conducted focus group research into online grocery shopping, supplementing a paper-coding based analysis with a further analysis based on computer coding. Findings Usage of CAQDAS in commercial market research is very low at only 9%. Our research suggests that CAQDAS can be a useful supplement to traditional methods. Using computer software we were able to 1) mine the data for more detail; 2) clearly identify minority views; 3) and produce a useful resource for future research. Research limitations/implicationsThe survey response rate was 38%, but only 13 respondents used CAQDAS. Generalisation from a single experiment is problematic; our findings are affected by the research topic, research brief and the two research analysts. Practical implicationsThe study has important implications for commercial qualitative market research. Repositioning CAQDAS as supplementary, rather than as an alternative, circumvents arguments about time pressure, and highlights its data management role. Originality/value This is the first large scale survey of qualitative research analysis in the UK market research industry. The case study describes an approach to CAQDAS that is innovative and relevant to commercial market research.