You Had to Be There: What In-Person Research Reveals That Virtual Never Will
We were recently in a Meijer aisle, mid-way through an At-Shelf Insights session, when a shopper paused and asked, “Are you all doing a scavenger hunt?”
It was a quick moment — funny, unexpected — but it captured something essential about what we do. Because when you're standing in the aisle, not behind a dashboard, you get reminded of this:
The best insights come from what people do, not just what they say.
And some of the most valuable things to pay attention to never show up in survey results, virtual panels, or slide decks. You only get them in the field.
Let’s Be Honest: Virtual Research Has Limits
Digital testing is fast. It's scalable. It's budget-friendly. But what it saves in cost and time, it often sacrifices in context — and context is everything.
Most CPG brands know this on some level. They’ve seen test results not translate in the real world. They've launched a product that had strong survey validation but flopped once it hit the shelf. The numbers were there. The performance wasn’t.
So, what happened?
Often, the setting didn’t match the scenario. We asked people to imagine a choice when we should’ve observed them making it.
Why In-Person Research Still Matters in 2025
We’re not here to knock virtual testing. We use it, too! But more and more, the brands we partner with are reintroducing in-person work as a complement, not a relic.
Here's why:
1. Behavior ≠ Intention
Consumers often say one thing and do another. In the field, you see the gap between declared preference and actual behavior.
A shopper claims they check nutrition labels but skips it when rushed.
A parent says price is secondary until the kids aren’t watching.
You don’t just hear the “what.” You see the “why.”
2. You Learn What You Didn’t Think to Ask
Virtual tools are limited to the questions you write. But in a store, the research keeps talking back. Shoppers narrate their frustrations, kids point out packaging, employees share insights.
Some of the best pivots we’ve ever seen came from unplanned, unscripted moments in the field.
3. You Can’t Simulate Context
Real shelves are loud, crowded, and imperfect. Products aren’t spaced evenly. Lighting varies. Competitor SKUs aren’t standing still.
That’s exactly what makes it valuable. We often discover issues that only emerge under pressure. Poor product blocking, overlooked claims, misleading packaging visuals.
How This Connects to Your Innovation Journey
Mission Field’s EMBR™ framework — Energize, Make, Burst, Roar — is built for big CPG teams who want to think and move like entrepreneurs.
That means:
Testing early and often
Validating not just desirability, but visibility and usability
Listening for friction points, not just affirmation
If you're a VP of Insights, Head of Innovation, or anyone tasked with bringing great products to shelf, ask yourself:
When was the last time your team watched a shopper make a decision in real time?
Have you relied too heavily on claimed behavior and controlled tests?
Are you confident your product is being chosen for the reasons you think?
If the answer to any of those gives you pause, it might be time to get back in the aisle.
What Comes Next
In-person testing doesn’t have to be slow, expensive, or hard to scale. We’ve built our methodology to be agile, collaborative, and deeply tied to business decisions…Not research for research’s sake.
Want to test smarter — and sharper? Let’s talk.