Abstract:

The practice of marketing research is moving towards an emphasis on consumer behaviour as compared to consumer attitudes, impressions, needs, wants, and so forth. This paper discusses problems with typical methods of collecting and analyzing behavioural data and provides a custom research solution to these problems. The Visionary Shopper research system allows us to extend our understanding of the consumer through a virtual reality trip to the store, where we, the researchers, control the retail environment. We can vary such factors as pricing, promotions, packaging, and shelf sets and assortments and examine the consumer's purchasing behaviour under these controlled experimental conditions.