ProNews - Keeping you Informed
Information Market Research Users Want

We are all trying to get information from consumers. Whatever the issue or idea, we need consumer information to solve our problem or back up our hypotheses.

When getting that consumer feedback is important to you and your initiatives, it is imperative to get the best quality information.

In-Store Surveys – Not to be Overlooked

Often companies will go to the Internet or Telephone to conduct quick and cost effective surveys. However, there is a type of survey that is often overlooked, the In-Store Consumer Survey.

In-store surveys can be just as timely and inexpensive as other forms of surveys, but in many ways it offers superior results.

Recall Is a Key Issue
The majority of the time, you want to find out about a consumer’s shopping experience. Consumer recall is always strongest at the time of the actual purchase event. So it only makes sense that we want to survey the consumer as close to that event as possible. In-store surveys are conducted immediately following the shopping event. Internet or telephone surveys could be conducted days, weeks or months after the event.

Location – Be In the Environment
In-store surveys are conducted in the environment the event takes place. The shopper’s mindset while in the store is on the shopping experience. Internet and telephone surveys take place in the consumer’s home where they will have many distractions and may find it difficult to focus on the event and topic.

Face-To-Face Interaction
In-store surveys take place person-to-person and face-to-face. This enables the surveyor to develop a rapport with the respondent making it easier to interact with the respondent, read body language, probe for answers, rectify confusion, etc. Internet and telephone surveys do not provide this type of in-depth contact.

Targeting Consumers through Observation
Surveying in store allows you to target specific consumers through observation of behavior. If you want to survey consumers who actually purchased an item, walked down an aisle, were exposed to a media format, touched or read a package, etc., in-store surveying enables you to do so. Since in-store surveys are more accurate, you can conduct fewer surveys while achieving better results. Internet and telephone surveys rely completely on the honesty or recall of the respondent, and as we know, the further away from the event, the lower the recall.

Cost Effectiveness
Internet and telephone may be less expensive per survey; however, with the higher accuracy of in-store surveys fewer are necessary decreasing costs. In-Store is a cost effective survey method; especially when you consider accuracy, reliability and projectability.

When you think of the decisions you base on consumer behaviour, don’t you want to make sure you have the best information possible? When the issue at hand is an important one (and isn’t it always?), make sure to consider In-Store Surveys along with Internet and Telephone. It might just be the tool you’re looking for.

Always working to improve your research experience,

Jennifer K. Mitrovich
Vice President - Key Accounts
Proforma Consulting Limited
(905) 858-5000 x225
jennifer@proforma1977.com

For more information on In-Store Consumer Surveys, visit our website.