Case Study: Petcare Decision Hierarchy Research

Business Aims

A major manufacturer of Petcare products needed a clear understanding of how shoppers segment the category and make purchase decisions in order to stay at the forefront of the category and strengthen relationships with key retailers.

Marketing Sciences Solution

A 3-staged research approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. The initial phase of qualitative Group Discussions explored how category shoppers define and segment the category. A quantitative stage of 600 central location interviews then followed, comprising a card sorting (range) exercise to help understand how individual SKUs contribute to defined segments based upon the repertoire purchased. A final in-store phase of 1,100 quantitative at-fixture interviews and 17 mini-depths allowed the identification of decision trees and factors which influence the purchase decision.

Client Impact

The research enabled the client to influence retailers on key category dynamics by providing guidance on shelf layout and range optimisation by developing insights based on shopper repertoires, needs and trade-offs.