Helping Coles and Sanofi understand how store modifications improve ease of shopping and address the current barriers to purchase.

ACCOMPANIED SHOPPING EXPLORES HOW CONSUMERS SHOP THE Vitamin-Mineral-Supplements CATEGORY

After Coles transformed the VMS (Vitamins Minerals Supplements) layout in their new concept stores they wanted to assess changes it made to the ease of the shopping experience compared to the experience of the old layout as well as the discount pharmacy experience. Sanofi, who has two supermarket brands in the VMS category wanted to understand how store modifications addressed the current barriers to purchase of their Natures Own brand.

Coles and Sanofi teamed up and commissioned us to help them understand and develop a subsequent pilot in another Coles store to be rolled out the following year.

We applied our exploratory qualitative accompanied shop method to assess the shopper’s reaction to the new Coles concept store. We conducted 45 minute interviews both pre-store and at-shelf with different shopper types to explore reactions to components of the Concept Store. 

This way we were able to provide Coles and Sanofi with an assessment of layout, aesthetics, information headers and navigation and which of those tools to adopt, adapt or abandon. We were able to outline drivers and barriers to shopping for VMS at Coles Concept store versus regular Coles and discount pharmacies.

We were able to provide a summary of ‘Tools’ to take forward into further concept store and identify assets and key opportunities for future use. We were able to guide the store development by understanding ‘why’ consumers shop the way they do.