Observation, accompanied shopping, shop-along
A special form of ethnographic research
Immersion in the real purchase processes at the POS
Trained interviewers record all their sensory impressions (what do they see, hear, smell, feel), as well as shoppers’ observable, uninfluenced behaviour when we want to gain insight into their needs and decision-making behaviour at the POS: What generates stopping power? How long do shoppers spend at the POS before making a decision? How do they navigate around the POS? What routes do they take? What behaviour can be observed? Which products & packs do they touch/take off the shelf and how do they interact with them?
By physically following the consumer as they navigate the store, browse, and pick products off the shelf (if any!), we learn how closely they view and interact with your category at the POS. For online shopping, we observe the purchase process live via screen sharing.
Integration into the research process
Observation, accompanied shopping as well as shop-along alone are usually not enough to explain shoppers’ behaviour, they are only one piece of the puzzle and should be combined with other narrative, exploratory methods. In any case, observations do sharpen our vision and sensitise researchers before moving on to individual interviews or group discussions, as they allow us to capture unconscious behaviour that participants would not recall in a conversation.
For example, looking at the cosmetics department in drugstores, we found out that the average time spent in this category is significantly longer than in other major drugstore categories. In addition, many shoppers who spend time in the cosmetics department of a drugstore take their time to compare and select products, while a smaller proportion of shoppers make their purchases quickly and routinely. In the subsequent survey, we then worked out how the department should be designed in order to invite people to linger and try things out.
Read more on Shopper research
“Do-it-your-shelf” (ideal shelf set-up)
Social listening,
social media monitoring
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The other 3 pillars of our research expertise
Exploratory Research
WE DIG TO THE BOTTOM of consumers' minds
- Consumer attitudes, behaviour, drivers and barriers
- Usage patterns and habits, customer journeys
- Lifestyle research
- Market landscape, mental maps
- Latent needs, new territories
- Consumer segmentation, typology, persona
Brand & Strategy Research
- Advertising impact
- Product re-launches (360° marketing checks)
- Packaging
- Prices & promotion
- Marketing mix coherence, portfolio
alignment
Product & Packaging Test
- Opportunities for adopting new concepts and ideas (both products and services); addiction factor
- New formulas, flavours, fragrances, textures, colours, shapes, dosage forms, handling, devices, packaging materials, service components, names, claims, etc.
- Customer & user experience
