Posted by When servicing micro-retailers, it is important to have an understanding of the market and consumer dynamics and factors affecting your route-to-market. Improved research will provide you with the data to make better management decisions and help you implement the right strategies and tactics to reach retailers and the end-consumer. Shopper and consumer insights are both important research tools when assessing the consumer and your market.
What is shopper insights?
Shopper insights focuses on retailers and channel insights. The research targets activities to improve distribution, product placement, merchandising and promotions in outlets. It is concerned with how shoppers buy when they enter the stores, and when they buy, such as the number of times a week, when in the store. The research looks at what they buy, such as package sizes, and products, and what they don’t buy.
Sample questions
- How many times a week do customers shop at micro-retailer?
- Do customers buy from both modern retailers and traditional retailers?
- How often do they buy a product and what package sizes do they buy?
- What else did they purchase during this trip?
- Where did they stand or move inside the shop?
Shopper Insights can help answer questions like:
- What is the right pack to sell in micro-retail outlets?
- What merchandising equipment do you need to introduce in micro-retailers?
- Where to place your products in the store and next to which brands?
- How durable does your packaging need to be, considering the handling and storing in micro-retail outlets?
What is consumer insights?
Consumer Insights are concerned with the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that drive buying decisions. It focuses on when, how, and why consumers engage with a brand and the emotions it awakens. Brand teams work with consumer insights to create the right product message aligned with consumer needs.
Sample Questions
- Who is the consumer?
- When do they use a product?
- How do they feel about a brand and its competitors?
Consumer Insights can help answer questions like:
- What flavours and varieties should you introduce in micro retailers?
- What messaging do you need to design to fit your target audience?
- Should you include any mixed or variety packs in your packaging?
- Is there any seasonality in your products and pack sizes?
- What type of promotions should you run for your target audience?
Shopper and consumer insights often collaborate to improve the shopper and consumer experience and grow the brand. Consumer Insights research helps brand and marketing teams understand the consumer needs, emotions, and drivers to select a brand versus a competitor product. While shopper insights will make recommendations to the sales team to ensure that the in-store experience, merchandising and messaging increase sales.
For more information on how to analyse, design, and pilot, a route-to-market model to service micro-retailers, visit our Route-to-Market model page.
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