Image recognition methods, apparatus and articles or manufacture to support shelf auditing for consumer research are disclosed herein. Example methods disclosed herein include comparing a first image signature associated with an input image with a plurality of reference signatures associated with a plurality of reference images to identify a first reference image matching the input image. Such disclosed example methods also include identifying a first group of items depicted in the input image as corresponding to a first group of reference items registered with the first reference image. Such disclosed example methods further include determining a first region of the input image that differs from a corresponding first region of the first reference image, and processing the first region of the input image based on a template to identify a second item depicted in the input image.