As the size of the average store declines, understanding shoppers’ in the moment logic and motivations when navigating in-store, becomes more and more important. A global food and beverage manufaturer recently set out to launch a new savory snack. They needed to know where their product should live in the grocery store – in the chip aisle, or in the cracker aisle. Here are our 5 tips on how mobile qualitative research can help you understand in-store behavior.

1. How mobile qual helped to Hack the
Snack Aisle

2. #1 Mobile got them in the moment with consumers
Mondelez needed access to behaviours before they were rationalized or filtered by
memory - especially as healthy snacking is often irrational. Humans are bad at
recalling why they chose a product or even what they did five minutes ago, making
digital qual the perfect solution for reaching participants in-store.
#1 Use mobile to access consumers in-the-moment
A global food and beverage manufacturer needed access to behaviors before they were
rationalized or filtered by memory - especially as healthy snacking is often profoundly
irrational. Humans are notoriously bad at recalling why they chose the product they did or
even what they did five minutes ago, making digital qual the perfect solution for reaching
participants in the moment in-store.

3. #2 Activities were framed to capture behaviors
The study asked participants to take pictures of aisle signage, revealing two behaviors
- consumers were ‘hunting’ or ‘browsing’. Hunters ignored signage as they knew the
aisles to visit. Browsers went up and down aisles for needed items, keeping an eye out
for new items. Mobile qual gives you photos - for a deep understanding of context.

4. #3 Retail started at home
While people make decisions in-store, their journey to that decision starts at home.
Using inventory activities and pantry tours to see first hand what and how snacks
were consumed at home helped the client understand consumer snacking
preferences.

5. #4 Getting the whole context was key
Getting to know participants was key to their understanding of people’s snacking
habits. They learned that healthy snacks are likely to be consumed ‘as a substitute to
cookies’ and to ‘kill’ the craving for chocolate. Mobile and digital qual enables you to
get invited into consumers’ lives.

6. #5 Once they knew why, they knew what to do
The study revealed that the cracker aisle was the best location for a new savory snack
- as people who consume healthy snacks are likely actively to avoid aisles which
contain unhealthy snacks (like the chip aisle). Understanding behavior with digital
qual gives you clear direction.

7. Want to
learn more?
Get in touch at:
info@revelationglobal.com
or call +1 503.808.1492.
www.revelationglobal.com
Read the fullcase study here
Research in the moment
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