Chapter 7:
Common Mistakes in Shopper Behavior Research

One common mistake in shopper behavior research is to rely on one data source for shopper insights. The most powerful insight is when different information sources are combined and triangulated to provide a comprehensive shopper view along the path to purchase. It is important to capture the conscious and subconscious drivers of behavior. Relying on qualitative research alone to make decisions about how to influence shopper behavior can result in research shortcomings. Strong shopper insight work typically involves quantitative insight generation to understand different behavior and patterns.

To ensure strong shopper insights, it is important to test in situation to measure real shopper behavior. Focus groups or online surveys have their limitations as they rely more on attitudes and stated/intended behavior versus actual behavior.

Another mistake to avoid is focusing solely on shoppers. It may sound as if “shopper insights” is just about shoppers – but really it is about shopping. Non-shoppers are just as revealing as shoppers and sometimes more so. For example, if you have target shoppers who never buy your product, have switched to another store or don’t even shop your channel, they can often reveal powerful insights about the gaps in the shopping journey.

The theory and practice are sometimes different. The theory of shopper insights tends to be cleaner and less confusing on paper than the practice. But the good news is that once you start regularly digging for insights with the right approach, it’s like panning for gold – you get better at combining theory with real-world experience.