Real Stores, Real Shoppers
We observe in actual retail environments — hypermarkets, drugstores, pharmacies, specialty shops. No lab simulations, no artificial settings.
Qualitative Research
Shop Along Research in Poland
Walk the aisle with your consumer. See what they really do at the shelf.
What Is Shop Along Research?
Shop along — also known as accompanied shopping — is an observational qualitative method in which a researcher accompanies a consumer through a real shopping trip, documenting every decision, hesitation, and interaction at the shelf in real time. Unlike surveys, which capture rationalised post-hoc accounts, shop along records actual behaviour at the point of sale: which products catch the eye, what triggers a pick-up, which labels are read, and what ultimately lands in the basket. Fieldstat conducts shop along studies across all major Polish retail formats — hypermarkets, supermarkets, discounters, drugstores, pharmacies, and specialty stores — giving brands an unfiltered view of how shoppers truly behave.
Real-Time Observation, Not Retrospective Fiction
How it works. A Fieldstat researcher meets the respondent at the store entrance. From that moment, every action is observed and documented: which sections the shopper visits first, how they navigate the aisle, which products catch their eye, what triggers a pick-up (colour? shape? promotion sticker? brand familiarity?), which products are picked up and put back, whether labels are read (and which information is checked — price, ingredients, origin, brand), and what ultimately lands in the basket. Throughout, the researcher asks non-directive questions: “What made you pick that up?” “Did you consider another option?” “What would make you switch?”
How a Shop Along Session Works
Declaration vs. reality — the shelf-level gap. This is pure ethnographic method applied to retail. Unlike surveys (where respondents construct idealised shopping narratives after the fact) and lab-based shelf tests (which lack the chaos, time pressure, and social context of real shopping), shop along captures behaviour as it happens. The insights are visceral: you learn that your “premium” packaging blends into the shelf because it’s the same navy blue as three competitors; that your 2-for-1 promotion is invisible because the sticker is at ankle level; that shoppers in this format don’t walk past aisle 4 at all.
Retail Formats We Cover
Where we conduct shop along. Hypermarkets (Auchan, Carrefour), supermarkets (Biedronka, Lidl, Stokiłowicz), discounters, drugstores (Rossmann, Hebe), pharmacies, electronics stores, DIY retailers, and specialty food shops. We match the retail format to your distribution strategy. A typical project involves 10–25 accompanied shopping sessions across 2–4 retail formats.
Multi-Method Shopper Intelligence
Combining shop along with other methods. For the most complete shopper intelligence, we pair shop along with eye tracking glasses (what exactly the eye sees on the shelf), post-trip IDI (deeper exploration of motivations), and quantitative CAWI (scaling shop-along findings to a representative sample). This multi-method approach gives you the full picture: what shoppers see, what they do, why they do it, and how widespread the behaviour is.
Market in Numbers
10–25
accompanied sessions per project
30–90 min
per shopping trip observation
2–4
retail formats compared per study
70%+
of purchase decisions made at the shelf
Sources: POPAI, Nielsen Shopper, Fieldstat project data
Shop Along vs. Other Shopper Methods
| Method | What It Captures | Environment | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
Shop along |
Real behaviour + real-time reasoning |
Actual store |
Observer effect (fades quickly) |
Survey / CAWI |
Declared behaviour (post-hoc) |
Online |
Memory bias, idealisation |
Lab shelf test |
Controlled shelf interaction |
Studio |
Artificial context, no real purchase |
Eye tracking glasses |
Visual attention at shelf |
Actual store |
What they see, not why |
Receipt analysis |
Actual purchases |
Data only |
No context, no decision process |
Why Fieldstat?
Shelf-Level Decision Intelligence
We capture the moment of truth: what triggers a pick-up, what causes rejection, what role price/promotion/packaging plays in the final decision.
Multi-Format Coverage
We compare shopper behaviour across retail formats (hypermarket vs. discounter vs. drugstore) to inform your channel strategy.
Photo + Video Documentation
Every session is documented with photos, researcher notes, and optional video. Rich material for category management and trade marketing presentations.
Benefits
- Observe actual purchase decisions at the shelf in real time
- Reveal the gap between declared and actual shopping behaviour
- Understand what triggers pick-up, comparison, and rejection
- Evaluate shelf visibility, packaging impact, and promotion effectiveness
- Compare shopper behaviour across 2–4 retail formats
- Document shopping journeys with photos and detailed notes
- Identify navigation patterns and category flow in-store
- Generate actionable insights for packaging, display, and trade marketing
Applications
Shopper journey and path-to-purchase research
Shelf-level decision process analysis
Packaging effectiveness at point of sale
Promotion and POS material impact evaluation
Category navigation and store layout research
Cross-format shopper behaviour comparison
Competitive positioning at the shelf
Category management and planogram optimisation
Implementation Process
1
Brief & Scope
We define the product categories, retail formats, and shopper profiles to study. We align on observation priorities and key research questions.
2
Shopper Recruitment
We recruit 10–25 shoppers matching your target profile — category users, specific retail format shoppers, demographic and behavioural criteria.
3
Accompanied Shopping
Our researchers accompany each shopper through a real shopping trip, observing behaviour, asking non-directive questions, and documenting everything with photos.
4
Post-Trip Interview
After shopping, we conduct a 15–20 minute follow-up interview to explore reasoning behind key decisions and capture reflections.
5
Shopper Intelligence Report
You receive a visual report with shopper journey maps, decision trees, shelf interaction analysis, and actionable recommendations for packaging, display, and channel strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many shop along sessions do I need?
We recommend 10–25 sessions for robust pattern identification. For multi-format or multi-category studies, this may increase to 20–30 sessions.
How much does shop along research cost in Poland?
Individual sessions cost PLN 800–1,500 each. Full projects (15 sessions + report) typically range PLN 15,000–30,000.
Does observation affect shopping behaviour?
Minimally. After 5–10 minutes, shoppers revert to habitual behaviour — shopping is a deeply ingrained routine that is very difficult to consciously alter. Our researchers are trained to be unobtrusive.
In which stores do you conduct shop along?
Hypermarkets (Auchan, Carrefour), supermarkets (Biedronka, Lidl), discounters, drugstores (Rossmann, Hebe), pharmacies, electronics stores, DIY retailers, and specialty shops.
Can shop along be combined with eye tracking?
Yes — this is our premium shopper research package. Respondents wear eye tracking glasses during shopping, recording exactly what they see at the shelf. Combined with researcher observation and post-trip interview, this provides the most complete shopper intelligence available.
What exactly do you observe during a session?
The shopping route (which sections, in what order), shelf interaction (scanning pattern, product pick-ups, label reading), decision triggers (price, promotion, packaging, brand), comparison behaviour, staff interaction, and final basket contents.
Sources
Observational Research Methods (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observational_methods_in_psychologyPOPAI — Point of Purchase Research
https://www.popai.com/ESOMAR — Observational Research Guidelines
https://esomar.org/code-and-guidelines/icc-esomar-code