How to do better store visits

Learning to look through our shoppers eyes

Its all about perspective, asking why, and how we
judge
What does HE see?
What does HE think?
What does HE feel?
What does SHE see?
What does SHE think?
What does SHE feel?
here are three ways to i!prove"
1. Take a different perspective: #ou need to step
outside of who you are and beco!e one of the!$
2. The power of asking Why: %ust observing so!ething is useless$ We need
to ask ourselves why did she do that or why is that good$ We !ust for!
hypothesis to be proven, or disproven$
3. The way we judge: We !ust appraise what we see
i!partially$ he shopper !erit is deter!ined by the
shopper, not us$
9. Are you decided upon at
the shelf or not
7. We do not judge the
competition fairly
8. We need to learn from
other categories
5. Shoppers assess value
differently to us
3. Shoppers dont manage
rands! they uy and consume
them
". We are not our shoppers
#.Winning eauty contests does
not e$ual sales
%. We go &hen &e &ant to' not
&hen they need to
"(. )n store staff *no& more
that you do
+. Shoppers go shopping to shop!
not survey rands
here are &' weaknesses to our approach(
)act" We are not our shoppers
Insight: *nilever !anagers are not representative of
our shoppers$ We are well paid, educated and
co!e fro! within the industry$
ction: When in+store you !ust step outside of who
you are and force yourself to think and act like a
typical shopper$
!elpful Tips:
,o to stores that you do not nor!ally shop at$
,o to places where you do not nor!ally go to$
-ake sure you do store visits and shopper
connects when you travel to other countries and
!arkets$
.ook at products you do not nor!ally buy$
/esearch before hand and find out where the bulk
of the population sits on the .S- scale$ ,ive
yourself an i!aginary budget si!ilar to the
average$
hink about their household, their children, their
budget and their !ode of transport$
Write down a list of what you think they would
need 0not want1 and what their budget would
roughly be$
hink about these two things while in store above
all else$
2ne of us(
2ne of our
Shoppers(
)act" We go when we want to3 not when they need to
Insight: Shoppers shop on certain days
and at certain ti!es$ If you want to
observe shoppers 4in their natural
habitat5 doing what they nor!ally do,
you need to go there when they are
!ost likely to be there and in that
!ode$
ction: 6o your store visits at the !ost
popular shopping ti!es on the !ost
popular shopping days$ 7lan your
trips well in advance$
!elpful Tips:
6o your 8ho!ework and find out before hand what are the busiest
shopping ti!es and days 0as a rule of thu!b, working people shop outside
of working hours1$
*se basic logic and co!!on sense3 weekends are pri!e shopping ti!es
for !odern trade shoppers 9 :"''a! is a pri!e shopping ti!e in a wet
!arket$
)act" Shoppers go shopping to shop, not survey brands
Insight: Shoppers usually have a reason to
go shopping$ When you go into a store,
what is your purpose? *sually it is to
see how your product looks on shelf or
to see what the co!petition are up to$
hese are two very different objectives$
ction: #ou !ust walk into a store in a
8shopping !ode 0not a survey !ode1$
he store will look and feel very
different$ 6o a 8shop not a 8store visit$
!elpful Tips:
ake a !ock+up shopping list as you
would when you go shopping
personally$
)ollow this list and shop with a trolley or
basket$
Walk the entire store following a typical
shopper route$
Spend ade;uate ti!e in each
aisle<category3 dont just go to your
section$
.og what you discover as you go$ ake
photos if you can$ If you are not
per!itted to, !ake sketches to bring
your insights to life$
2ur tools of trade(
heir tools of
trade(
)act" Shoppers dont !anage brands3 they buy the!
Insight: When we, 0ie *nilever e!ployees1 go into
store we =ero in on our beloved brands and
products$ We block out 4other things5 when
actually we need to focus on 4those other
things5 just as !uch as our own$ Shoppers did
not spend &> !onths and have to pass four
I7- gates to write their shopping list$
ction: #ou !ust disconnect yourself fro! your
brand$ he bias of 8ownership in+store will
handicap your ability to see through a
shoppers eyes$
!elpful Tips:
?sk yourself, what would your
!u! see or notice if she was
shopping right now$
.earn to 4blur your eyes5 as you
look at displays, shelves and
products$ his will help to show
you what shoppers see, not
what you want to see$
)act" We can learn fro! other categories
Insight: When we go into a store @'A of the ti!e we go straight to our category and look at
our brand$
ction: .ook at as !any categories as possible to learn fro! others$ 2bserve what they
are doing and ask why they are eBecuting in this way$
!elpful Tips:
7ick the category directly opposite yours in the
aisle$ Write down C things that the category or
brands are doing to convert shoppers in that
category$
ake each three then apply the! to your
category to see if they fit or would work$
If they would not work write down why$
If they would work write down how you would
eBecute it in your category with your brand$
Dack at the office find out if this has been done in
any other !arkets or in your country before to
investigate how effective it was$
)act" We judge the co!petition unfairly
!elpful Tips:
.ook at your co!petition and try to post rationali=e their eBecution$
ake your products and find three things wrong with the! as a 8stress test$
,o to a co!pletely foreign category pick up two products and co!pare the! as if you were
buying the!$ Eow go back to you section and do the sa!e for your product and a
co!petitors product$
2bserve : shoppers in a row$ What did they touch or pick+up$ ?sk yourself why those
products were engaged and why others were not$ If they picked your co!petitors
products go and look at the! afterwards 0yourself1 asking the sa!e ;uestion$
ction:
6ont apply industry
criteria to what you see
in+store$ #ou need to
look and judge in+store
eBecution in a way a
shopper would$
Insight:
We judge things in store
based on industry
!etrics and standards,
not on the actual
shopper !erit$ We tend
to critici=e the
co!petition and post
rationalise our eBecution
in+store$
)act" Winning beauty contests doesnt
e;ual sales
Insight: We tend to judge the ;uality of our eBecution in+store
based on what we think looks good3 not what our
shoppers think looks good$ Stand out on shelf is !uch
!ore i!portant than beauty when it co!es to driving
sales and !arket share$ Defore they can buy a product,
a shopper !ust be able to see it and understand it$
ction: When judging your products at the point of purchase
look at the! for how well they"
&$ catch the shoppers attention a!ongst their surroundings
F$ ell you what they are and what they do
C$ convey the key selling points < close the sale
!elpful Tips:
Stand well back fro! your products location in store
when you look at the!$
Dlur your eyes3 can you still see the i!portant selling
points?
Walk along the aisle and try to find and understand your
products without stopping$ Gould you read the brand
and variant? Gould you understand what your products
are and what they do in : seconds?
)act" Shoppers assess value differently to us
Insight: Shoppers !easure value in+store through a !iB of ele!ents and a host of trade+offs$
!elpful Tips:
.ook at the product si=e
i!pression$
6oes it look bigger or s!aller
co!pared to the logical
alternative?
6ont just look at the volu!e or
weight$ .earn to look at the
nu!ber of usage occasions 0ie
doses or washes in laundry1$
)or pro!otional activity, look at
the percentage saved and also
the cash saving$
How co!pelling is this in real
ter!s for a shopper$
.ook at the deal and ask yourself
4would I buy that5?
ction:
ry to co!pare and contrast value by assessing it in
the sa!e way a shopper would given the
circu!stances$
We need to do the sa!e 8value trade+offs that a
shopper would do at the point of sale$
)act" 4Shoppers5 buy because of years of history,
personal bias and e!otional links
Insight: Shoppers arrive at a store having !ade !any
decisions already$ hey will have subconsciously
chosen the outlet, the budget, and their their list$ Even
!ore i!portant, they arrive with well+developed
preferences for brands, based on associations built up
over ti!e fro! a host of sources$
ction: -ake sure you cleans yourself of your personal
biases$ ry to think of how they would be
subconsciously preparing to shop in the store you are
visiting$
!elpful Tips:
7ick a typical shopper out fro! the crowd$ Duild a
hypothetical story up of who he<she is$
?t a polite distance observe hi!<her throughout the trip$
?sk yourself was that driven by what she encountered
at the point of purchase or was it so!ething pre+
deter!ined 0ie decided upon out of the store1$
ry to link these back to your brand and ask yourself3
are you decided upon already or at the shelf in+store$
)act" In store staff know !ore than you when it
co!es to shoppers
Insight: We can learn a lot fro! the staff who
work in+store and interact with shoppers
daily$ In+store staff can help us to
understand what !akes shoppers do
what they do and !ost i!portantly what
converts the!$
ction: When in+store, !ake an effort to
interact with the staff$ alking the store
!anager, the !erchandisers, our
pro!otional girls and sales push tea!s
can teach us allot$
!elpful Tips:
hink carefully about how you engage
with the!$ ?pproach the! in a non
threatening way$
?sk the! 8open ended ;uestions$ 6ont
just tell the! about your brand$
)ind out off the! what is selling and
what is not$ ?sk the! why$
?sk the! why our products are easy or
hard to sell$
How to prepare for your Store Hisit
&$ Defore #ou ,o(
F$ ?s you enter(
C$ ?s you do the
shop(
I$ When you check
out(
:$ When
you get
back(
Store 2bservation )low 6iagra!
2. s you
enter"
C$ ?s you do the shop(
I$ When you check
out(
:$ When
you get
back(
&$ Defore
you go(
&$ Defore you go(
#elect your store $or stores% wisely. Think
a&out what you want to get out of the
trip. Write it down clearly and
succinctly. #tate your o&jective.
'o your desk research on the channel( the
retailer( the store. )now where you are
going.
'o your desk research on the catch*ent area
$the region( the location the street the
shopping centre etc.%
'o your desk research on the shopper profile
you e+pect to encounter $L#,( -ulture%

'ress appropriately. Try not to stand out. .ou
need to &lend in/ you will &e *ore
effective.
Take along your *o&ile phone to take photos
$if you are allowed%
0repare your 1*ock2up3 shopping list
4sta&lish your realistic 1*ock2up3 &udget
,ost i*portantly: ,ake sure your list and your &udget reflect the typical
shopper/ not yourself.
F$ ?s you enter(
5&serve transport types( and accessi&ility. 0ay
particular attention to how the *ajority of
shoppers are arriving and leaving the store you
plan on visiting. lso look closely at car parks
and how full or e*pty they are.
Look at the surrounding &uildings( stores or shops.
0ay particular attention to what else is for sale in
the i**ediate area( centre or *all. What type of
catch*ent area is it. Where are people *oving to
and fro*.
0ay careful attention to the people in the area. 6ote
their nu*&ers( their *ove*ents and their
activities. re they *ale or fe*ale. !ow are they
dressed. 'o they have children or partners with
the*. Look at those going in and those co*ing
out of the store. What *ethod are shoppers
using/ a trolley( a &asket or so*ething else.
Think a&out their L#,/ is there consistency or is
there diversity.
,ost i*portantly:$ ,ake sure you take this last chance to step
outside of who you are and &eco*e one of your shoppers.
C$ ?s you do the shop(
,ake a 7uick sketch of the store layout and any noticea&le features.
0ick up a &asket or get a trolley.
'o your full shopping trip now. 8se the list you have prepared. Try to
stay in line with the &udget you have set.
".
6ow that you have co*pleted this task( reverse the process and
replace all the products you have just selected one &y one.
4ach ti*e you do this ask yourself 9why did I chose that
product:; 6ote the reasons down. Try to use criteria like(
display( standard price( pro*otional price( pack si<e( clai*s(
05#( stand out on shelf etc.
t this point also note down the route you took. ,ake specific points
on where you visited versus where you did not. ,ost
i*portantly note down why you e+cluded these aisles or
areas. Think a&out influences like( signage( 05#( category
adjacencies and the overall store flow.
fter you have co*peted this e+ercise now take so*e ti*e to
o&serve other shoppers. Try to spend just as *uch ti*e
o&serving the* as it took to do yours. ,ake a note of the
ti*e it takes others to/ shop each aisle( select each product.
Its also vital to o&serve what *ode they are in. re they $i%
i*pulse &uying $ii% selecting on autopilot( or $iii% thinking
carefully a&out it. re they reading any of the following: 05#(
#ignage( 0ack 'etails $front = &ack%. re they &eing helped or
handicapped &y others with the* $ie kids%. Think a&out what
sort of *ission they are on for e+a*ple( top2up( weekly stock
up or e*ergency. Think a&out their *ood. re they enjoying
this or is it a chore.
If there are store staff availa&le ask the* what is selling and what is
not. ,ake notes &ased on what they tell you.
I$ When you check out(
Take stock of the cash registers and what the 7ueues
are like. re they long and if so how long is the
wait.
What offers and what *essages are &eing
co**unicated at the checked out area. What
type of products are on display. re they
i*pulse lines or not.
-onsider how others are paying for their &askets. re
they using cash or credit. re they using loyalty
cards or coupons:
5&serve how shoppers are leaving the store and watch
for what type of transport they are using. re
they walking( riding a *otor&ike or &icycle(
driving a car or catching a for* of pu&lic
transport $eg &us%.
Think a&out how easy or how awkward it is for the* to
*anage their shopping &ags. re they struggling
or are they *anaging it easily. Think a&out how
long it would take the* to get ho*e and if ite*s
like ice crea* would *elt or eggs would get
&roken.
Watch long enough to deter*ine if they are going
straight ho*e or if they *oving onto their ne+t
task or location.
Think a&out what they will do when they get ho*e. !ow
will they &e unpacking and storing their
products. What type of roo*s would &e in their
house. What sort of *eals would they &e
preparing"try to close the loop.
:$ When you get back(
,ake sure you capture your notes in a way that you can share the*.
#hare these with your tea* $including your line *anager% and
also your -,I &usiness partner.
Try to for* 1hypothesis3 for your key o&servations. 6ote these in a
way that is easily recognised &y others.
#ave or scan2in any *aterial that you collected on your trip like store
folders>flyers( &rochures( pictures( sa*ples and pro*otional
entry for*s.
,ake sure you save your findings( *aterial and photos in a place that
can act like a catalogue. The concept &eing that you will add
to it over ti*e. .ou can upload your *aterial to:
http:>>tea*sites.unilever.co*>colla&>#hopperInsight>default.asp+ if
you are a *e*&er.
nd *ost i*portantly".for the insights that you &elieve to &e
significant( draft a 7uick e*ail and send the* to the -
#hopper Insight Tea*. .our contri&utions will help us &uild an
invalua&le shopper knowledge &ase"
nthony.woo?unilever.co*
@onald.fernande<?unilever.co*
,elissa.orchard?unilever.co*
6eil.*unro?unilever.co*
? practical guide to i!proving your in+store observation skills
here are three basic ways to i!prove your observation skills in+store"
&1 Take a different perspective: #ou need to step outside of who you are and beco!e one of the!$
F1 The power of asking Why: %ust observing so!ething is useless$ We need to ask ourselves why did she do that or why is that good$ We !ust for! hypothesis to be proven, or disproven$
C1 The way we judge: We !ust appraise what we see i!partially$ he shopper !erit is deter!ined by the shopper, not us$
&$ We are not our shoppers
F$ We go when we want to3 not
when they need to
C$ Shoppers go shopping to
shop, not survey brands
I$ Shoppers dont !anage
brands, they buy the!
:$ Shoppers assess value
differently to us
J$ Winning beauty contests does
not e;ual sales
K$ %udge the co!petition fairly
>$ .earn fro! other categories
@$ ?re you decided upon at the
shelf, in+store or not?
&'$ In store staff know !ore than
you do when it co!es to
shoppers
*nilever !anagers are not representative of our shoppers$ We are well
paid, educated and co!e fro! within the industry$
Shoppers shop on certain days at certain ti!es$ If you want to 8observe
shoppers doing what they nor!ally do, you need to be there when they
are$
When we go into store we are checking how our products and pro!otions
look, or we are checking what the co!petition are up to$ Shoppers never
do this$ We !ust observe shopping not survey brands$
When we go into store we =ero in on our beloved brands and products$
We block out everything else when actually this aspect is !ore i!portant
because that is what we understand the least$
We need to do the sa!e 8value trade+offs that a shopper would do at the
point of sale$
Stand out on shelf is !uch !ore i!portant than beauty when it co!es to
driving sales and !arket share in+store$ Defore a shopper can buy a
product they !ust be able to see it and understand it$
We judge things in store based on industry standards, not on the actual
shopper !erit$ We critici=e the co!petition and post rationalise our
errors or weaknesses in+store$
When we go into a store we go straight to our category and look at our
brand$
Shoppers arrive in+store having !ade !any decisions already$ -ost will
have decided upon the outlet, the budget, and their list without even a
thought$ Is your brand decided upon like this or not?
We can learn a lot fro! the people who work in+store and interact with
shoppers everyday$ In+store staff can help us to understand what !akes
shoppers do what they do and !ost i!portantly what converts the!$
When in+store you !ust step outside of who you are and force yourself to think
and act like a typical shopper$
6o your store visits at the !ost popular shopping ti!es on the !ost popular
shopping days$ 7lan your trips well in advance$
6isconnect yourself fro! your brand$ he bias of 8ownership in+store will
handicap your ability to see what the shopper sees$
ry to co!pare and contrast value by assessing it in the sa!e way a shopper
would given the circu!stances$
%udge your brand in+store by how well it catches the shoppers eye a!ongst its
surroundings$ 7ressure test your standout by walking past the category without
stopping3 could you see it?
6ont use industry !etrics to !easure what you see in+store$ #ou need to look
and judge in+store eBecution in a way a shopper would$
.ook at as !any categories as possible to learn fro! others$ 2bserve what they
are doing and ask why they are eBecuting in this way$ ry to apply these to your
category to see if they are relevant$
-ake sure you cleans yourself of your personal biases$ 2bserve shoppers who
buy your category$ 6id they use in+store sti!ulus to decide, or did they just grab
the product auto!atically$
When in+store, !ake an effort to interact with the staff$ alking to the store
!anager, the !erchandisers, or our own pro!otional girls can reveal allot$
2bserve shoppers not ite!s$ .ook at behavior not products$ Walk the entire
store following a typical shopper route$ *se a !ock+up list and use a trolley or
basket$
Headline Headline Insight Insight Action Action