POPAI Launches Shopper Engagement Study

Study to Include Groundbreaking Combination of Neuroscience, Eye Tracking and Shopper Interviews To Determine In-Store Decision Rate and More

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today POPAI announces the launch of its Shopper Engagement Study, which includes a groundbreaking combination of neuroscience monitoring, eye-tracking, and shopper interviews to determine in-store decision rates and the power of in-store marketing.

Having pioneered studies that demonstrated the impact of display materials and impulse decision rates as they relate to in-store displays, POPAI will once again pave the path for in-store research by adding a combination of groundbreaking EEG and eye-tracking technology to attitudinal findings and shopper interviews in-store. The research will uncover business opportunities for companies looking to connect and remain relevant with shoppers in a retail marketplace currently being restructured by a confluence of forces that reach beyond the present economic maelstrom.

In announcing this initiative, Richard Winter, President of POPAI stated, "As the leading international advocate and voice of the marketing at retail industry, POPAI is committed to answering the industry's most important questions using the most exceptional people, proven methods, and advanced technologies available.  Our goal is to build on our previous study, which took a position on what percentage of the purchase decision was made in store while adding even greater relevance and context.  The team of Lily Lev-Glick, Principal of Shopper Sense, who lead our previous study, SmartRevenue, and Sands Research are ideally suited to conduct this important study."

"The neuroscientific focus is an excellent complement to the vast amount of purchase decision data and behavioral insights that POPAI is known for," said Lev-Glick. "By looking through the lens of the shopper in conjunction with the inner workings of the mind and then combining those with POPAI's proven methodology of measuring levels of in-store decision making, we will expand the understanding of shopper behavior and successful marketing at retail strategy."

The Shopper Engagement Study will be conducted across three channels, each channel launched as part of a consecutive wave.  The first wave will be conducted in the supermarket class-of-trade. The project is comprised of two concurrently executed research modules. The Core Methodology includes pre and post shopping interview formats with 2400 shoppers, which is consistent with the execution of the 1995 Consumer Buying Habits Study, allowing POPAI to calculate key purchase decision metrics that are comparable with those from the 1995 initiative. The Secondary Module will incorporate portable electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, worn by respondents while they shop. This will be combined with eye tracking to tie shoppers' physiological responses to exactly what they were looking at, eliminating such issues as recall and denial.

"We are pleased to partner with POPAI to bring a deeper dive to the shopper insights research space," says Ron Wright, President and CEO Sands Research Inc. "Through this new alliance, we will offer a unique view of understanding what drives shopper purchases and engagement in the retail setting -- a valuable resource for retailers, brands, and producers of in-store media."

POPAI's new study will provide greater insight into shoppers' attitudes, behaviors, and emotional responses to the retail environment, including specific types of displays. The team assembled blends POPAI's long history of conducting shopper and purchasing behavioral studies with the neuroscientific prowess of Sands Research, the stellar infield surveying capabilities of SmartRevenue, and the acute project management of ShopperSense.

"We are honored to be selected to participate in this important integrated initiative as it combines advanced methodologies with rigorous data collection techniques," said John Dranow, SmartRevenue's CEO.

The pilot program for the Shopper Engagement Study launches in June 2011 with the full field execution occurring in July 2011.  Results from the study will be available in late 2011. The findings from the study will allow brands, retailers, and display manufacturers to:

• Identify product categories that have the greatest proclivity towards impulse vs. planned purchasing
• Isolate the display types that most effectively drive engagement and closure rates by product category
• Determine the display locations that correlate to increased product awareness, consideration and purchase
• Cluster shopper segments against display types and levels of impulse vs. planned purchases

The driving force behind the study comes from POPAI retail, brand, and producer members who are looking for research study that solidly documents and demystifies the shopper, reveals strategies that yield success, and identify where the profit opportunities reside within the retail environment.

For more information on the study, contact Richard Winter at (703) 373-8803 or e-mail [email protected].

About POPAI

For 75 years POPAI has served as the leading international advocate and voice of the marketing at retail industry. With chapters worldwide and serving more than 1,700 members internationally, POPAI promotes, protects and advances the broader interests of the marketing at retail community through original research, certified education, showcasing industry excellence, trade forums and protecting intellectual and legislative rights. For more information, please visit http://www.popai.com

SOURCE POPAI