Joining Shoppers at Retail to Uncover Purchase Barriers
Situation
A major appliance manufacturer was experiencing unacceptable return rates on the sales of high-end, built-in cooking products. Compendium was asked to help them better understand the purchase process and what was causing consumers to buy products that didn’t fit and had to be returned.
Listening & Learning
Compendium proposed an experiential research approach, providing the opportunity for the client to authentically experience and understand the issues. A series of in-store shop-alongs were designed with qualified shopper consumer participants who had purchased or intended to purchase a built-in appliance.
- In addition to the shopper, client team members attended each session incognito, so the retail sales associates were unaware that research was being conducted.
- Shop-alongs were conducted in three markets, with a variety of targeted appliance retailers.
- Following each shopping experience, in-depth interviews were conducted with each shopper to further understand their observations, experiences and expectations.
Leveraging Insights
The research revealed an overall experience that was inconsistent with the customers’ premium product expectations, including a lack of adequate information in an oftentimes unaided sales environment.
- A new display system was developed to maximize the consumer experience and assist retailers in selling efforts.
- An updated training program for retailers focused on specific instructions and boosted sales training efforts.
- A communications program was created to provide consumers with necessary information and peace of mind, including “It will fit – we promise” messaging.
The client team members' participation in the research enabled them to experience and share first-hand observations with colleagues, adding credibility and relevance to the findings. In-store photos and customer-interview videos further brought their experiences to life and were used to confidentially sell recommendations internally.
Retailers received changes enthusiastically, and the level of built-in product returns due to fit issues declined.
“Compendium was invaluable in helping us to better understand and respond to the complicated built-in cooking market. Their approach to this need produced rich and actionable information, which played a huge part in the strategic direction of our built-in cooking business.”
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