Lloyd (pictured) has been with the firm since 2001 and was previously operations director. The new division will offer walk-in and telephonic mystery shopping, and product and price auditing services. PDAs will be used to allow real-time data reporting and the firm will offer visits by mystery shoppers equipped with hidden video cameras.

Charlotte Jackson, Synovate’s MD in South Africa, said: “This has been an expected development as this part of our business has been growing substantially in recent years. The project team itself has more than doubled.”