Case Study Round-Up: Retail and Shopper Work

With the weather (and our wardrobes) shifting as the season change, we thought it was a good time to do a round-up of our recent work showcasing how W5 delivers knowledge to help our retailer clients thrive.

As brick-and-mortar stores bolster efforts to support new norms amid constant change, brands in the retail space have an opportunity to optimize offerings to capture new customers while retaining current loyalists.

Check out these case studies to see how W5 helps brands uncover triggers, beliefs, attitudes, and motivations that propel customers’ decision making and drive loyalty.

Designing a Best-In-Class Flagship Experience

A telecommunications brand wanted to explore shoppers’ perceptions and behaviors at their flagship location on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. W5 interviewed consumers and employees and conducted in-store interviews centered on navigability of the space, functionality of interactive experiences, and clarity of in-store communications.

RESULTS

• Identified occasions for refining the experiences, noting differences between traditional merchandising strategies (product runway) and innovative approaches (metaverse)

• Uncovered shopper expectations for a flagship experience across mission types (i.e., seeking solutions, planned purchases, experiencing featured technology)

Inspiring Empathic Thinking for Marginalized Groups

W5 helped a brand broaden their understanding for a marginalized group that relied on government financial assistance for their grocery spending. Within the organization, this group was not prioritized despite their growing importance as a share of revenue and brand consideration. W5 combined in-home interviews with a survey to understand how financial and emotional challenges manifest in economically struggling consumers’ lives.

RESULTS

• Validated the inclusion of this audience in future business planning

• Encouraged greater empathy and understanding of their lives and challenges

• Built relatable portraits of consumer types to showcase the breadth of lifestyles within the audience and challenged stereotypes

• Delivered a short documentary that presented a human face of the audience grounding W5’s insights with real-world examples

Exploring Ease of Shopping in Grocery Stores

A regional grocery store brand was interested in exploring customers’ needs for an easier shopping experience and identify opportunities for improving in-store offerings. W5 conducted mobile and in-store ethnographic research to evaluate the effectiveness of store signage, product placement, and messaging in directing customers to key products.

RESULTS

• Identified how shoppers engaged with the client’s unique product labeling system

• Provided recommendations to enhance clarity and foster awareness of the program including ways to optimize positioning of signage in a more intuitive and natural manner

Mapping Digital Footprints on the Path-to-Purchase

An agency sought to understand pet owners’ digital media engagement and mobile behaviors related to treat purchase decisions in-store and online. W5 conducted surveys with cat and dog owners to identify behaviors along the path-to-purchase for food and treats including how mobile was used at the physical shelf versus purchasing online.

RESULTS

• Identified differences between target segments’ purchasing behaviors to focus digital advertising to deliver the type of information target segments desired in the right channel

• Uncovered consumer technology adoption and how each segment engaged in the category online and on mobile devices informed the agency’s strategic communications