Shopper studies: accompanied shops and store visits

Why brands study how we shop

When you walk into a supermarket, every shelf and promotional display has been carefully planned. Brands want to know how you react to those plans in a real environment. They want to see what catches your eye, how you read price tags, and why you pick one box of cereal instead of another. Even with the rise of online shopping, physical retail is a massive business, and companies invest heavily in understanding it.

This is where shopper studies come in. Market research companies run these studies to understand the real, messy experience of buying things. Instead of just asking you to answer a questionnaire from your couch, they ask you to go out and shop as you normally would.

Sometimes a researcher will physically come with you to the store. Other times, you will go alone and use your smartphone to record what you see. If you wonder who pays for market research, and why your opinion is worth money, the answer is that retailers and product manufacturers fund these studies to improve their sales and store layouts.

What happens during an accompanied shop

An accompanied shop is exactly what it sounds like. A researcher meets you at a predetermined store and walks with you while you do your normal shopping. They will often meet you outside or at a nearby cafe first to introduce themselves and explain how the session will work. Once inside, they will ask you to talk out loud about what you are thinking as you look at the products.

They might ask why you stopped at a certain display at the end of the aisle or how easy it was to find the specific brand you wanted. The researcher is there to observe your natural behavior, not to judge your choices or test your knowledge. If you normally buy the cheapest toilet paper or skip the fresh fruit, they just want to know why.

The researcher will usually take notes on a clipboard or a digital tablet as you walk. They might also record the conversation on a voice recorder or a phone so they can review your comments later, instead of trying to write down every word. You will always be told in advance if you are going to be recorded, and you must agree to this before the study begins.

Store visits and taking photos on your own

Not all shopper studies require a professional researcher to walk next to you. Many store visits are solo tasks that you manage yourself. You will get a set of instructions to follow on your smartphone while you visit a specific supermarket, hardware store, or pharmacy. The research app may even use your phone location to confirm you have arrived at the correct address.

A common task is taking photos of the shelves. A brand might want to know if their new shampoo display is actually set up correctly in different towns across the country. You might need to take a wide picture of the whole aisle to show context, and then a close up of a specific price tag or a barcode.

You should always follow the store rules about photography. Some shop managers do not like people taking pictures of their internal layout or price structures. Your project instructions will tell you what to do if a staff member asks you to stop. You can learn more about privacy and rules in our guide to recording, consent and NDAs: what you agree to in a research study.

Store audits and secret shopping tasks

A store audit is a specific type of visit where you check the physical condition of a retail space. You act as the eyes and ears of a brand that cannot physically visit thousands of locations. Your job is to report back on exactly what you see on a specific day and time.

You might be asked to count how many rows of a certain energy drink are in the main fridge. You could also be asked to check if the floor is clean, if the seasonal promotional signs are clearly visible, or if a specific popular product is completely sold out. Brands rely on this data to hold stores accountable for their marketing agreements.

Sometimes, an audit involves talking to staff. You might need to ask a store clerk for advice on buying a television to see what brand they recommend first, or check if they offer a specific warranty. You do not tell them you are doing research. You simply act like a regular customer and write down what happened after you leave the building.

Saving and uploading your receipts

Receipts tell a factual, reliable story about your shopping trip. While human memory can fade quickly, a receipt shows exactly what you bought, what time you paid, and how much every single item cost. Researchers often ask you to share these as part of a shopper study to verify your purchases.

Some online research communities have a long term task where you upload all your grocery receipts for a few weeks or months. This helps researchers track how your buying habits change over time. If you use digital receipts, you might be asked to forward the email or take a screenshot. You can usually cross out any personal payment information, like the last four digits of your credit card, before you upload the image to protect your privacy.

Earning rewards for your shopping trips

Because store visits take more physical effort than sitting at a computer, they usually offer different rewards than standard online surveys. Your time, travel effort, and attention to detail are factored into the compensation. The study instructions will always explain exactly what you earn for completing the task successfully.

• Some studies ask you to buy a specific item, like a prepared sandwich or a cup of coffee, to test the checkout process or the quality of the food.
• If a purchase is explicitly required, the research company will generally reimburse the cost of that item on top of your standard reward.
• Sometimes you get to keep the product to test at home, meaning the store visit is just the first part of a longer research project.
• You might receive your points or rewards only after the researcher reviews your uploaded photos to make sure they are clear and match the correct store.

Your rewards will be added to your panel account balance once the study officially closes and your work is approved. You must always keep the purchased item and your paper receipt safe until your task is fully verified.

How to get ready for a store visit

Before you head to the shops, make sure your phone battery is fully charged. Store visit tasks drain your battery quickly because you use your camera, screen, and mobile data at the same time. Connect to the free store wifi if the building has thick walls that block your mobile signal. Also, check that you have enough storage space on your phone to save multiple high quality photos.

Read the instructions completely before you leave home. You do not want to realize you needed to visit the frozen food aisle after you have already paid and walked out to your car. Knowing the steps in advance makes the task much faster and prevents mistakes.

If you are ready to share your opinions and try tasks like these in your local area, you can create a free account with Reward Hours. Once your profile is complete, you will start receiving invitations to surveys, focus groups, and store studies that match your habits.

Common questions

Do I have to buy anything during a store visit?

Not always. Many studies just ask you to look at displays, take photos, or check prices without spending any money. If you are required to buy something, the study details will state this clearly and explain how you will be reimbursed.

What if a store manager tells me to stop taking photos?

You should always be polite and put your phone away immediately. Never argue with store staff or security guards. Market research companies will give you instructions on how to report an incomplete task if you are asked to stop.

Can I do an accompanied shop online?

Yes. Some accompanied shops take place on a video call from your home. You share your screen while you browse an online store or use a shopping app, and the researcher asks questions about how you find products on the website.

Can I bring my children with me on a store visit?

This depends entirely on the study. Sometimes researchers specifically want to observe how parents shop with young children. Other times, they require you to shop alone so you can focus completely on the task, so always check your specific invitation details.