Retail & Shopper
TNS is leading the way in helping its retailer and manufacturer clients outsmart the competition by understanding and positively influencing shopper behavior and decisions that result in improved performance of a brand, category or store.
TNS has over 30 years of shopper expertise, with renowned industry thought leaders at the forefront of the business.
Improve your in-store success rate!
The decision a shopper makes standing at the store shelf has often been referred to as the "final frontier" of a brand's product development and marketing efforts. In a fleeting moment a shopper may reward your efforts with a purchase or decide to go elsewhere. Understanding a shopper's motivations, desires and in-store behavior is key to maximizing yours success during the final purchase decision moments. By exploring shopper behavior around key in-store touchpoints - including store layout, category layout, packaging, promotions and in-store communications - we can greatly improve your in-store success rate.
At TNS we employ traditional research techniques, such as accompanied shops, quantitative observations and surveys, and shopper interviews, as well as many innovative research tools to help us understand the behavior when I customer walks into a store, down an aisle and scans the shelves. Our approaches include eye-tracking, virtual imaging and environments, Pathtracker® (which measures traffic flow and dwell time around a store), as well as state-of-the art/evolving neuroscience techniques.
Our approach is based on three fundamental beliefs:
- Improving conversion on the Path to Purchase is key to success
As a manufacturer or retailer you face many barriers to conversion along each step of the Path to Purchase. TNS identifies these barriers - whether they are price related, associated with assortment, confusion as to product location and a host of others - so you can overcome them and then finds the triggers that will enhance your conversion success. - Observational techniques must be used to understand shopper behavior properly
The store environment is recognized as a critical component of brand messaging, communication and merchandising. Are shoppers able to navigate the store effectively and can they easily and quickly find what they are looking for? Are displays placed in the appropriate traffic areas and do the signage and other visual cues help or hinder the process? These are fundamental but key elements of the shopping process you need to understand. For over 20 years TNS has been in stores connecting directly to shopper behavior by observing all elements of the shopping process. We are your "eyes on the shopper" - allowing you an intimate understanding of a shopper's in-store purchase decision process. - Shoppers and consumers are intrinsically linked, yet they have different behaviors, needs, and motivations
Understanding the differences (and similarities) between shoppers and consumers is key to aligning your brand's strategies for maximum in-store effectiveness. Consumer needs drive shopper behavior. A full understanding of the needs a shopper is attempting to fulfill as he/she shops the store and the importance of meeting that need in terms of converting the shopper are critical components to implementing strategies that maximize choice opportunities for your product. Our time tested and validated qualitative and quantitative approaches provide you with deep insight into this critical link.
For more information on our approach, read the TNS Retail & Shopper Point of View.
To discuss how we can work together to improve your in-store retail performance, contact TNS Retail & Shopper.
