FMCG shelf research

Gaining insight into the purchasing behavior of consumers standing in front of the shelf helps you determine the shelf strategy for your product. Do consumers choose the products that are at eye level? Or do they choose the most eye-catching product or the product that looks most reliable? Consumers have a conscious and unconscious decision-making process for every product. Shelf research provides you with the right insights for your product and shelf strategy.

The shelf study

In shelf research, a product (category) is evaluated against current or potential competitors in a realistic setting. Respondents are asked one or more times to make a choice at a physically simulated retail shelf in Markteffect's office. This is followed by in-depth interviews or a group discussion, focusing more deeply on motives, thoughts, and feelings regarding the choice(s). By combining choices that closely resemble reality with subsequent qualitative research, relevant and valid insights into behavior and motives are generated.

The focus of the research

When conducting shelf research, we focus on the following aspects:

• Drivers and barriers to considering/purchasing a product (category)
• The distinctiveness, uniqueness, and findability of a product (category) and relevant competitors on the shelf
• The assessment of a product (category) and relevant competitors on the shelf

The emphasis and the choice of research method (in-depth interviews or group discussions) depend on the objective of the research and prior knowledge gained from previous studies.