the challenge

Facing increased competition, our client wanted to understand the shopper journey both in-store and online, including how people navigated the category, evaluated product options, and made selections. The team also wanted to know how different design directions affected decision-making.

our approach​

• Went directly into the shopping experience to understand how consumers make purchase decisions in real-world and online environments, using in-person and virtual shop-alongs across multiple locations and retailers.
• Used detailed recruiting criteria to reach the right shoppers and began with pre-shop interviews to understand product usage and past purchase behavior.
• Observed inspiration and planning, navigation, feature evaluation, barriers, purchase drivers, and reactions to product and packaging options.

the impact

The research mapped the purchase journey and translated observations into recommendations for benefit communication, packaging design, product selection, display, and in-store signage.

A key finding was that low product awareness was a larger barrier than the client had realized. The client used the work to improve shelf and online presence and shifted resources to prioritize awareness-building.