Smart ways to run market research with shoppers

Collecting insights from consumers at retail stores is a great way to understand the practical and emotional factors which affect their purchasing decisions. These insights allow retailers to make informed business decisions about store layouts, packaging, pricing and promotion (including point-of-sale advertising).

Three common methodologies for capturing in-the-moment experiences in retail environments are:

• Accompanied shopping trips (or ‘shop-alongs’)
• Self-guided shopping missions
• Store exit interviews

At FieldworkHub, we have substantial experience in all three methodologies to help brands get to the heart of their customers’ shopping journeys.

What is accompanied shopping?

An accompanied shop involves a pre-recruited respondent shopping as they usually would, while a researcher observes their behaviour. During the shop-along, interaction is kept to a minimum to ensure natural behaviour, although there is normally a post-shopping interview (and sometimes a pre-shopping interview as well) to delve deeper into motivations, influences, and decision-making processes.

Key benefits of accompanied shopping

• Shop-alongs help brands to observe in-store navigation and decision-making processes without artificial influences.
• A trained researcher is able to capture the ‘why’ behind purchasing decisions, including reactions to product displays, promotions, packaging, and pricing.
• Discreet shop-alongs allow store owners to gather insights from competitor stores as well as their own to see what attracts shoppers to go elsewhere and what differentiates one chain from another.

Case study about shop-alongs conducted by FieldworkHub.

What are self-guided shopping missions?

In a self-guided shopping mission, pre-recruited respondents are asked to visit a store and record their experience, often by annotating photos taken in the store, or by recording a video with a commentary as they walk around. This is generally easier to arrange in big stores than in small boutiques (as taking photos or making video recordings is very conspicuous in a small shop) and more acceptable in some countries than in others (FieldworkHub can advise on feasibility for particular countries).

Key benefits of self-guided shopping missions

• Without a researcher physically present, participants may feel more relaxed and are thus less likely to modify their shopping habits.
• Cost per complete is considerably lower than for shop-alongs and research can be conducted across multiple locations simultaneously.
• Self-guided shopping missions can easily be combined with at-home tasks to unbox and test the product that was purchased.

Case study about self-guided shopping missions arranged by FieldworkHub.

What are store exit interviews?

Store exit interviews involve a trained interviewer with a tablet computer or pen and paper standing just inside or just outside a shop or restaurant to conduct short interviews with customers as they leave. Typically, the interviews consist mostly of closed questions to collect quantitative data, with a few open-ended questions to add colour to the responses.

Key benefits of store exit interviews

• Exit interviews gather instant feedback from people that the researcher has observed leaving the store, so it is a much more reliable way of collecting shopper data than a “complete at home” online survey.
• In locations with sufficient footfall, a single interviewer may be able to collect 50 or more completes per day, so the cost per complete is typically quite low.
• Store exit interviews provide quantitative data on shopper experience, allowing the impact of changes in store to be assessed in volume or financial terms.

Case study about store exit interviews conducted by FieldworkHub.

Conclusion

Accompanied shopping trips, self-guided shopping missions and store exit interviews provide different types of insight on retail environments, so each has its place in retail market research.

At FieldworkHub, we are experienced in designing and executing studies using all of these methodologies. Whether you’re looking to refine your in-store experience, optimise product placement, or gain a better understanding of your competitors, we’re here to help.

Get in touch with FieldworkHub today to explore how we can enhance your market research strategy and deliver deeper shopper insights.