In-store research is a research method used to directly observe and analyse what is happening inside physical retail stores, such as pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience stores, DIY stores and hardware stores. It focuses on product displays, shelf layout, promotional materials, customer behaviour, stock availability and competitor activities. 

Although digital transformation and e-commerce continue to grow, physical retail stores remain an important place where consumers make purchase decisions. POS data can show “what was sold”, but it cannot fully explain “why customers bought or did not buy”. In-store research helps retailers and manufacturers understand the reality on the shop floor, including how customers move through the store, where they hesitate, which displays attract attention and whether promotional campaigns are being executed correctly. 

For businesses operating in competitive retail markets such as Singapore, in-store research, retail audits and mystery shopping are valuable tools for improving merchandising, customer service and sales performance. 

Key Objectives of In-Store Research 

The main purpose of in-store research is to identify issues at store level and turn them into clear actions for sales improvement. It helps companies evaluate whether strategies planned by headquarters are being properly implemented in each store. 

1. Measuring the Effectiveness of Promotions 

In-store research checks whether campaigns, point-of-purchase displays, end-cap displays and other promotional materials are actually visible to customers and influencing purchase behaviour. Even well-designed promotions may fail if they are placed in the wrong location, installed incorrectly or not maintained properly. 

By observing the store environment directly, companies can understand whether promotional activities are reaching the target customers and contributing to sales. 

2. Optimising Shelf Layout and Product Displays 

Shelf layout has a strong impact on customer decision-making. In-store research verifies whether products are displayed according to the planogram and whether key items are placed in high-visibility areas, such as the “golden zone”. 

It also helps identify problems such as poor product visibility, confusing category arrangement, insufficient shelf space or stock-outs. These insights allow companies to improve merchandising and create a store environment where customers can find and choose products more easily. 

3. Benchmarking Against Competitors 

Competitor store surveys are another important part of in-store research. They compare pricing, product assortment, new product launches, promotional activities, customer service and overall store conditions with competing retailers in the same trade area. 

This information helps companies understand their competitive position and develop strategies to maintain or improve market advantage. 

Why In-Store Research Is Important 

Consumer values and shopping behaviour are becoming increasingly diverse. While online shopping is expanding, many purchase decisions are still made inside physical stores. This means that the actual store environment plays a major role in influencing customer behaviour. 

For retailers and manufacturers, it is not enough to rely only on headquarters’ plans or sales data. They need to confirm whether store-level execution is consistent, accurate and effective. If there is a gap between strategy and execution, companies may lose sales opportunities, damage brand value or fail to deliver a consistent customer experience. 

In-store surveys provide both qualitative and quantitative insights into what is really happening in stores. These insights support more accurate merchandising planning, better store operations and faster corrective action. 

Main Types of In-Store Research 

In-store research can be conducted in several ways depending on the objective. 

In-House Store Surveys 

An in-house store survey checks whether a company’s own stores are operating according to headquarters’ merchandising and sales plans. For businesses with multiple outlets, this functions like a regular health check to maintain consistent quality across all stores. 

Typical survey items include shelf layout, product availability, promotional material installation, cleanliness, staff response and compliance with store operation standards. 

Shelf Layout and Stock-Out Checks 

Shelf layout and stock-out checks confirm whether products are displayed correctly and whether key products are available on the sales floor. Sometimes inventory systems show that stock is available, but the product is not actually displayed due to replenishment delays or operational issues. 

By identifying these gaps, companies can improve ordering accuracy, replenishment operations and sales floor management. 

Promotional Material Checks 

Promotional materials such as POP displays, posters and special campaign fixtures must be installed correctly to be effective. In-store research checks whether these materials are present, visible, correctly positioned and aligned with campaign guidelines. 

This is especially important for nationwide or multi-store campaigns where execution quality may vary by location. 

Competitor Store Surveys 

Competitor store surveys collect information about rival retailers, including prices, product range, new product availability, promotional activities and service quality. These surveys help businesses understand market trends and refine their retail strategy. 

Mystery Shopping 

Mystery shopping evaluates the customer experience from the shopper’s point of view. Trained researchers visit stores as regular customers and assess staff service, product knowledge, store cleanliness, waiting time and overall customer satisfaction. 

This method is particularly useful for improving customer service standards and identifying training needs. 

※ This article continues in Part 2, where we will discuss the next steps and key takeaways in more detail. 

The AJIS Group offers a range of research services. 

We offer a range of services designed to improve customer service and generate profits, including ‘mystery shopping’, where investigators visit stores to objectively assess various aspects, and ‘audits’ to examine in-store promotions and shelf layout.  

 Please visit the page below for more information on our research services. 

 👉　 Service Mystery Shopping & Research – AJIS Singapore 

We also provide sales floor maintenance and merchandising services, where we visit stores in accordance with client requirements to restock and display products, install point-of-purchase (POP) materials, and generally maintain the sales floor. 

Please see the page below for details of our merchandising services. 

👉　 Service Maintenance – AJIS Singapore

Editor: AJIS Group (AJIS Co., Ltd.)
AJIS Co., Ltd. is one of Japan’s leading providers of stocktaking and retail support services, operating 83 branches across Japan. Leveraging its extensive experience with over 3,000 corporate clients, the company has built strong and trusted relationships while offering comprehensive support for store operations and sales promotion activities.
Furthermore, the AJIS Group has expanded its presence internationally, with operations in the United States, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Through these initiatives, the Group is committed to addressing challenges faced by the retail and distribution industries across these markets.

The post What Is In-Store Research? – Part 1  first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

At the show, we will introduce the following services designed to strengthen on-site execution and help retailers and manufacturers address the challenge of improving store operations efficiency:

– Stocktaking Service:

Accurate and speedy stocktaking conducted by professional staff, with rapid data delivery – enabling inventory counts that do not interrupt store operations.

– Merchandising Service:

Outsourcing in-store tasks such as merchandising, shelf stocking, store refits, and other in-store tasks, and other store operations to professional staff to support the resolution of operational challenges.　　　    

 ◆ Highlights at Our Booth: From Issue Discovery to the Best-Fit Solution

At our booth, we will listen to your current situation and help you identify where the biggest inefficiencies lie and what the key bottlenecks are. Based on this, we will propose the most effective solutions for your business.

We can also provide practical guidance on the next steps, including outsourcing inventory counts and sales-floor operations, addressing labor shortages during peak periods, and designing operational processes.

◆ Event Details

　📅Event: NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific  　

   ⏰ Dates/Hours: 2–4 June 2026, 10:00–18:00 (until 17:00 on the final day) 

    🏢 Venue: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 

    🔶AJIS Booth: 2019 (Lower Level) 

◆ Contact / Appointment Requests

To make the most of your visit, we also accept pre-scheduled appointments in advance. 

Please feel free to contact us:   AJIS Singapore  

We look forward to welcoming you to our booth.

Retail Expo Overview | NRF Retail’s Big Show APAC

The post Announcement: Exhibiting at “NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific” first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

The AJIS Group, operating across East Asia and ASEAN, has significantly enhanced its mystery shopping and research services with the support of its Japan-based group company, AJIS Research & Consulting Co., Ltd. (ARC). 

ARC is the first Japanese company granted full membership in the Mystery Shopping Professional Association (MSPA / Asia Pacific) and has earned high recognition from leading corporations both in Japan and overseas.

ARC’s core strength lies in its ability to consistently deliver high-quality, reliable research data using globally recognized methodologies, including mystery shopping and customer satisfaction surveys.

ARC has conducted numerous research projects for well-known global companies, including luxury jewelry brands and cosmetics manufacturers.

Under ARC’s guidance, the AJIS Group provides high-quality mystery shopping services across China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

Through global-standard research, AJIS contributes to identifying client challenges and driving continuous improvement. For more details, please refer to the proposal provided separately.

The post AJIS Mystery Shopping Evolves first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

At the AJIS booth, we will showcase a range of solutions for store operations issues as well as services that support sales growth and branding strategies.

 If you face similar issues, we invite you to visit the AJIS booth.

Please come and experience the retail support services of AJIS, which has the No.1 stocktaking record in Japan.

Thank you！

Contact AJIS here.  →　　AJIS Singapore

NRF exhibition details and admission passes are click here.　→　　NRF Retail’s Big Show APAC 2025

Event Date: June 3–５, 2025　10:00 AM–6:00 PM
　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ends at 5:00 p.m. on the 5th only

Venue : Marina Bay Sands / Level 1, Halls ABC
　         10Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
AJIS Booth: No. 1022

The post AJIS to Exhibit at NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

We have started a mystery shopping service in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in collaboration with ARC, a specialist company in our group.

Please click here for more information about ARC. ⇒ARC

私たちは、グループの専門会社ARC社と連携して、シンガポール、タイ、ベトナムにおいてミステリーショッピングサービスを始めました。

ARC社についての詳細情報はこちらをご確認ください。⇒ARC社

The post We have started
a mystery shopping service first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

To show our thanks to our business partners, we have decided to hold a special campaign. Please take this opportunity to experience our services.

With the motto “Your Partner in Retail Solutions”, we will continue to provide services that support the growth strategies of manufacturers and retailers in Singapore.

We greatly appreciate your continued support.

Thank you.

Takashi Oka

1周年 ありがとうございます！

私達は設立１周年を迎えました。
お取引先各社様、我々のサービスをご利用いただき有り難うございました。
様々のご支援、誠に感謝申し上げます。

お取引先様への感謝の意味を込めて、記念キャンペーンを実施することに致しました。
ぜひこの機会に我々のサービスをご体験ください。

我々は ❝Your Partner in Retail Solutions ❞ を合言葉に、シンガポールのメーカー・リテーラーの皆様の成長戦略をサポートするサービスをご提供してまいります。

今後も引き続き、ご支援を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。

岡　隆

The post Thank you for your support!
1st Anniversary first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

Makers and retailers, why don’t you solve your sales floor problems with AJIS Merchandising Services?

AJIS, with its unparalleled experience in inventory and merchandising in Japan, can utilize its know-how to provide one-stop sales floor solutions for makers and retailers in Singapore.

What is AJIS’s Round Merchandising Service?

Do you have problems such as “My products are not displayed on the sales floor” or “I want more of my products to be ordered”? 
AJIS will visit stores on a regular basis to maintain the sales floor and create an attractive selling floor. 

Case 1: Food brand 
AJIS regularly visits priority stores to secure product display areas (requests to stores), replenish and display products, and perform product ordering.The results were evident from the first month of using AJIS, and we are currently planning to propose the next project. 

Case 2: Cosmetics brand 
AJIS visits stores on a regular basis to replenish and display products and to count inventory quantities. We replace and rearrange products in line with the launch of new brands, and also check expiration dates. 

Reports submitted by AJIS allow clients to identify issues on the sales floor in real time. In addition, AJIS’s merchandising experience enables us to make specific proposals to solve clients’ issues. By combining various merchandising services, issues discovered can be resolved quickly. This reduces the burden on our clients and reduces lost opportunities.

We are here to support your business success in the best possible way. 
Please feel free to contact us. 
【Contact Form】 

If you would like to receive a detailed proposal, please fill out this form. 
For more information or to apply, please contact us.  
【Contact Form】 

AJIS Singapore  

The post Round Solutions Merchandising Services first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

AJIS, which boasts an overwhelming track record in stock taking and merchandising services in Japan, will use its expertise to offer a one-stop sales area solution to retailers and makers in Singapore.

What is AJIS’s problem-solving research service?

AJIS visits stores as a shopper to survey customer service and sales area conditions. AJIS research reports provide real-time visibility into sales area issues. In addition, AJIS’ merchandising experience enables us to make concrete proposals to solve our clients’ problems. When combined with AJIS’s merchandising services, the issues discovered can be quickly resolved. These will help reduce the burden on the client and decrease lost opportunities.

We support your business success through our best way.
Please feel free to contact us.

For more information or to apply, please contact us. 

AJIS Singapore CONTACT US

The post Proposing Research Services first appeared on AJIS Singapore.

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お気軽にご相談ください。

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