Shopping safari, shopping trips
In qualitative research, a "shopping safari" or "shopping trip" refers to a method where shoppers are sent out to explore shelves, departments and (online, offline) stores on their own and are asked to bring back their findings for a later individual interview or group discussion or documentation in an online diary. By visiting and photographing a shelf, department or store, shoppers can visualise the specific presentation and document their likes and dislikes.
Through this exercise, we gain an insight into each consumer's personal perspective and see how they experience the shelves, departments or stores and what is on offer: do they photograph the whole shelf or just a section? In the course of a subsequent interview or group discussion, it is then possible to talk about the pictures and clarify specific circumstances at this particular POS.
Alternatively, a group of respondents walk (or are driven) to a number of locations as an intensive stimulus prior to optimisation work being carried out in a group setting with the moderator and a live sketch artist. This allows us to observe and understand consumer behaviour, decision making and interactions in a natural shopping environment.
International research
When we conduct research in foreign cultures, accompanied shopping trips can help us to understand local retail and the shopper journey across different sales channels.
- Accompanying shoppers in Vietnam, we found that buying from traditional retailers is favoured for its convenient location (needed nearby) and low price, while modern retailers are favoured for their credibility and better customer service.
- Before taking part in a group discussion to talk about their personal shopping experiences, Belgian consumers visited a number of different stores and gained some fresh impressions by deliberately observing their shopping experiences and feelings. This allowed us to assess how they felt about the atmosphere in the store, the store concept and the design, and to gain valuable insights for future improvements.
Read more on Shopper research
“Do-it-your-shelf” (ideal shelf set-up)
Social listening,
social media monitoring
Related articles
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
