E-commerce
Convenience is always important, and subscription models and flexible payment options are making purchasing easier than ever. Social commerce is now mainstream, with integrated shopping featured on TikTok and Instagram feeds.
Retail market research
Research recruitment solutions for retailers, consumer packaged goods companies, e-commerce platforms, and luxury brands across all retail touchpoints. We are experienced in recruiting consumers, B2B and technology users and professionals for retail market research in 60 global markets.
50+ completed retail projects
7 years of retail experience
1000+ retail respondents recruited
Retail
Retail industry
The retail industry is one of the key contributors to the global economy. The US market alone is worth almost $7 trillion, with global sales reaching approximately $31 trillion. While markets in Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East are still experiencing significant growth in ‘brick-and-mortar’ retailing, the US and Europe are suffering from harsh market conditions which can be attributed in large part to the rise of online retailing.
Online retail sales are estimated to account for just over 20% of global retail sales in 2025. China leads in terms of total revenue from online sales, followed by the United States, but the UK has one of the highest proportions of online sales, which now account for around 30% of British retail sales. A string of recent business failures on both sides of the Atlantic, such as Saks Global, Eddy Bauer and Rite Aid in the USA, and Russell & Bromley, Claire’s Accessories and Homebase in the UK are evidence of the tight squeeze that traditional retailers are facing.
FieldworkHub has successfully completed many projects for both online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores, including in-person shop-alongs in the UK, Switzerland and the UAE, restaurant exit interviews in the USA and online focus groups and depth interviews exploring trends and consumer preferences with various segments of retail in many different countries.
Trending topics
Trending market research areas in the retail industry
FMCG/CPG
The move towards clean, natural ingredients in food and personal care products has been driven by consumer trends towards mindfulness. Omnichannel experiences take online shopping to offline, personalised experiences.
Luxury goods
Authenticity and transparent production is key to brand loyalty, with younger consumers demanding ethical consumption led by wellness trends. Accessible luxury goods, such as shoes and accessories, are popular in uncertain economies.
Apparel
The general trend in apparel is driven by the consumer desire for ultra-low-cost garments, while also being led by upmarket aesthetics. In a slight contradition, there is also strong demand for eco-conscious materials and transparent supply chains.
Key audiences
Key audiences for retail market research
Traditional shoppers
The FieldworkHub team has facilitated focus groups with brick-and-mortar pet store shoppers, AI-moderated interviews with retired grocery shoppers, and shop-alongs in Swiss department stores.
E-commerce shoppers
We've recruited loyal customers of a global e-commerce platform and people who buy gift cards online for IDIs in 5 countries, and online fashion shoppers for focus groups in 8 European countries.
B2C online advertisers
Our team has completed numerous projects to recruit both large and small retailers who advertise their products online for depth interviews across 14 different countries in total.
Retail executives
We’ve recruited retail directors and retail country managers for focus groups and depth intereviews in several countries, and senior retail marketing managers for depth interviews in the UK.
Luxury brand consumers
Our team has arranged depth interviews with high-end whisky purchasers in Germany, and interviews with premium credit card holders who regularly purchase luxury goods in the UK.
Trendsetters & early adopters
The FieldworkHub team has recruited for in-person user testing on new cocktail brand with fashionistas in London, and arranged deep dives into youth trends in 8 global markets across several regions.
Ready to plan your next retail market research project?
FieldworkHub provides local support and participant recruitment for both qualitative and quantitative research projects; so every element of your brief is executed with precision.
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Qualitative research
What types of qualitative research does FieldworkHub conduct in the retail industry?
If you are looking to gather detailed insights into experiences, perceptions, and patterns of behaviour in the retail industry, a qualitative research methodology could be the right choice. Qualitative methods of research explore the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’, providing important contextual information behind how decisions are made.
Retail Focus groups
Focus groups allow participants to combine experiences and perspectives to explore ideas in depth. Commonly used during creative and conceptual development, they help you understand your customers’ needs, perceptions, and beliefs.
Retail in-depth interviews
In-depth interviews (IDIs), where a moderator interviews a single respondent, can be conducted face-to-face, online, or over the phone. They are ideal for B2B research and for exploring delicate subjects with consumers and hard-to-reach groups.
Retail Ethnographies
Ethnographic research is a qualitative research method in which the researchers observe participants using a product or service, or carrying out other activities, in their own environment, typically at work or at home.
Retail Online bulletin boards
An online bulletin board (OBB) is an online forum for qualitative market research that enables participants to log into to carry out research tasks or reply to questions asked by a moderator at their own pace, typically over a period of a few days.
Retail Online communities
A market research online community (MROC) is similar to an online bulletin board (OBB). However, unlike an OBB, on online community may be used to serve multiple purposes, and the community may remain active for weeks, months or even years.
Retail UX testing
User experience (UX) testing is a qualitative research methodology which involves directly observing and interviewing a participant using a product or service. It is widely used for testing new versions of apps and websites before they are launched.
Retail CX testing
Customer experience (CX) testing evaluates how customers interact with a product, service, or digital platform. It helps identify usability issues and overall satisfaction to improve the customer journey and ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.
Retail Video surveys
A video survey is a type of unmoderated qualitative research in which survey takers respond to a series of instructions or questions by making short videos using their smartphone, either in ‘selfie’ mode or to record an activity.
Retail vox pops
Vox pop research involves making recordings of people, usually members of the public, responding to questions. These clips are often used in research to illustrate public opinion on widely known topics, brands, or products.
Quantitative research
What types of quantitative research does FieldworkHub conduct in the retail industry?
If you are looking to develop a general picture of a particular topic, product, or service in the retail industry, quantitative research methodologies can help you gain objective insights from your target audience. Usually the results are numerical, which can be helpful in identifying patterns, averages, and creating statistics.
Retail Online surveys
Online surveys are a cost-effective research method with great flexibility in design. Automated data handling allows the results to be available quickly and many online surveys can be completed on smartphones, helping to improve the response rate.
Retail CATI
CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) leverages technology to reach those who aren’t online. CATI interviews follow an electronic script with built in routing and type in the respondent’s answers to each question as the interview proceeds.
Retail CAPI
CAPI (computer-assisted personal interviewing) is a form of face-to-face interviewing where the interviewer reads the survey questions from a tablet device and inputs the respondent’s answers directly to the device.
Case studies
Case studies of retail research
From online in-depth interviews to in-person focus groups, we’ve delivered a wide range of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methodology research projects within the retail industry. Our work spans diverse audiences and industries, so you can count on us to uncover the insights you need.
B2B research: French product fragrance specifiers
FieldworkHub was asked to recruit a small number of profiles for B2B market research in France. We were asked to recruit people who worked for companies that purchase fragrance ingredients in bulk and were involved in briefing fragrance houses or manufacturers on how they want their products to smell.
CAPI, focus groups: mobile top-up retailers
A management consultancy wanted to talk to shopkeepers in London who sell SIMs and top-ups for a mobile virtual network operator. We conducted face-to-face interviews with owners and managers and arranged two focus groups so our client could obtain views on the brand’s positioning relative to other mobile operators.
Focus groups: parents on talking toys, 3 countries
FieldworkHub was asked to arrange focus groups with parents of children aged 2-6 in the UK, France and Germany to help them decide whether to invest in a company that made talking toys. The aim of the research was to find out about the parents’ toy purchasing behaviour and preferences.
Focus groups: skincare products, UK, USA, Singapore
A major skin and beauty brand retailer was looking at relaunching one of its product lines and wanted some feedback from current and potential customers. FieldworkHub arranged targeted focus groups in each market. In total, 36 respondents were recruited in under two weeks and all of the focus groups ran successfully.
Online IDIs: retailers on pop-up shops, UK
A leading retail landlord in the UK, was developing a new pop-up concept to encourage companies to experiment with temporary retail stores in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. We arranged for direct-to-consumer retailers and traditional retailers to take part in online interviews over the course of two weeks.
Shop-alongs: department stores, Switzerland
We explored the preferences and shopping habits of food and non-food department store shoppers in Switzerland by recruiting participants aged 25-55 living in different types of household in Basel and Geneva to take part in 90-minute online in-depth interviews and shop-alongs.
Got questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
As consultants in the research space, we’ve got the answers. And if there’s anything left unanswered, drop us an email or give the team a call. We’d be happy to help.
1
How does conducting market research benefit the retail industry?
Ever-changing to capture the attention of passing consumers, retail companies may wish to conduct market research to understand customer preferences and buying behaviour. To hear from real customers uncovers valuable insight on brand perception, emerging trends, and evaluating market gaps.
2
Does FieldworkHub conduct research for e-commerce and brick and mortar retail?
FieldworkHub has extensive experience conducting in-person shop-alongs at brick and mortar retail stores as well as virtual shop-alongs through online platforms. We have recruited for focus groups covering online and in-person shopping behaviour and surveys focused on digital engagement and loyalty programs.
3
What kind of methods would you advise for retail market research?
At FieldworkHub we have experience in applying numerous different methodologies for retail market research with both individual and group interviews, as well as ‘in the moment’ retail research such as store exist interviews and shop-alongs which can help clients understand more specific nuances that aren't easy to communicate.
Looking to conduct market research in the retail sector?
Contact our feasibility specialists to discuss your specific research needs and how we can help you gain deeper insights from the retail sector in most major global markets.
