RESEARCH PROBLEM
A Polish manufacturer supplying household products decided to take a closer look at the behavior of customers buying durable goods for everyday use. The goal was also to check the effectiveness of an additional product display as compared to a regular store shelf.
EXECUTION OF THE RESEARCH
Non-participant observation using camera images was carried out for 8 days in one of the supermarkets in Poznań, from the opening to the closing of the store. The data was then coded for a pre-determined range, i.e. in detail from the appearance of a customer in the aisle up to leaving it and returning, if any, to the product category. All customers who appeared within the area of the category were covered by research and their behaviors were recorded every second.
WHAT DID THE REPORT CONTAIN?
- summary of customer traffic in the category of household products split into hours and days
- the most popular directions of entry to the aisle containing the category
- average number of products purchased during a store visit
- statement of interactions with the product and how they translated into a decision to purchase
- classification of organoleptic assessments
- analysis of how customers compare selected product brands
- time and number of product labels read by customers
- statement of interest in a product as compared to competing brands
- profile of customers making purchases broken down by gender, age and type of basket
- numerous conclusions from the study and recommendations for further actions
BUSINESS BENEFITS
The manufacturer obtained an in-depth knowledge of the shopping habits of customers reaching for durable products of everyday use. The company is aware of what behaviors precede the choice of a product and what factors determine resignation from purchase. Owing to this, it was able to adapt the packaging to consumer preferences. The research also showed ways to display products more effectively.