From Concept to Shelf:
What Drives Purchase Decisions and Why It Matters

Packaged Food Company

We conducted in-store testing to understand how consumers perceive two new specialty meat products, focusing on their purchasing motivations, product expectations, and price sensitivities in a competitive market.

CHALLENGE

What drives consumers to choose one specialty product over another in an increasingly competitive market?

As the U.S. market for Mexican food continues to expand—projected to grow by $113.85 billion by 2026. With 37 million customers of Mexican origin and Mexican cuisine ranking as one of the most popular food categories in the country. A major food brand sought our help to introduce two new specialty products: a sweet and spicy and cooked mexican sausages. These products will launch in 1,000 Walmart stores nationwide, with the goal of securing shelf space and connecting with consumers amid strong competition from established specialty brands.

Our client wanted to understand what drives consumer choices in the specialty foods category and the expectations shoppers have for unique, authentic flavors. By uncovering the “why behind the buy”, to help guide their strategy and reduce the risks associated with expansion.

APPROACH

To tackle this challenge, we set out to . gather deep insights into customer behavior, perceptions, and preferences. The primary objective was to . provide the client with actionable data. on how their products were viewed by potential consumers, especially outside their internal teams, in order to refine their go-to-market strategy.
We analyzed with what kind of specialty products it would be competing with, how they are positioned in the supermarkets, and if they are in the price range in comparisons and with the clients expectations. With current economic conditions, people are price sensitive but at the same time quality conscious.  We found that there is interest for a low cost source of protein for the family with great variety for all tastes.

1. In-store (product perception)

2. At-home (repurchase decision)

FINDINGS

The research provided crucial insights that shaped the client’s product strategy.
Consumers showed strong enthusiasm for the concept of the products, particularly favoring one over the other. However, two key issues emerged: the packaging of one product was difficult to understand, and the other product’s flavor was too spicy for many consumers, which turned out to be an internal problem in the recipe that the client had not detected. 

These findings were critical as the company had only conducted internal testing before and hadn’t yet engaged external customers for feedback.

The following customer journey highlights key insights gathered at each stage of the consumer’s interaction with both products, focusing on the critical touchpoints that influence purchase decisions. This mapping method offers a snapshot of the in-depth findings provided in our project deliverables.

OUTCOME

Armed with this fresh perspective, before the official launch, they were able to fine-tune these aspects, significantly lowering the risk of a misaligned product-market fit. This not only increased the likelihood of success in the initial 1,000 stores but also positioned the brand for future expansion into additional retailers with more confidence and a better understanding of their target audience.

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