US shopper research company sets up retail lab

US-based packaging and shopper research company Perception Research Services (PRS) has opened the a retail lab at its headquarters in New Jersey to help marketers develop, assess and improve their packaging and shopper marketing efforts.

The PRS Retail Lab will be used primarily as a venue for shopper research studies in which marketers will gather reactions to new products, packaging, POS materials and/or category management approaches. In addition, PRS professionals will lead ideation and co-creation workshops with clients and host meetings between manufacturers and their retail partners.

The 4,500 sqft retail lab features 5 customizable store aisles (up to 32 ft in length), including gondolas, end-cap displays, refrigerated sections and a front end check-out area. It also includes a dedicated interview room and a large viewing area, allowing clients to observe and record in-aisle shopping trips and group sessions.

The lab is equipped with overhead HD Video cameras, providing a full 360-degree view of the store. In addition, the PRS Mobile Eye-Tracking tool will be used to reveal shoppers’ viewing patterns – documenting what they see and miss – as they navigate aisles and consider packaging and POS materials

“At PRS, we’ve always emphasized the importance of evaluating new packaging and POS systems within a competitive shelf context. With the PRS Retail Lab, we are taking this idea one step further, by creating a secure, confidential environment for marketers to develop and screen new ideas in a store context. We’re excited to be working with our clients in this new way, as we’re confident that it will help them identify winning ideas more quickly and effectively,” says Scott Young, president of PRS.