What Is In-Store Research? Objectives, Benefits and Key Success Factors for Retailers – Part 1
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.
