With SimuShop^®, virtual shopping is not a research tool. It is a platform for conducting a wide array of research initiatives (new product introductions, pricing, packaging, promotions, category management, merchandising, etc.).

Why do we need a new platform?

• Our experience is that traditional research techniques focus on stated attitudes and opinions. The problem is that these stated measures do not translate into actual sales. Instead, we need a tool that measures behavior. SimuShop measures actual behavior by testing tactical approaches in the context of an actual shopping experience (including a full competitive set).
• For companies with a portfolio of brands and products, it is critical to understand the impact of a strategy not only on an individual SKU… but also on the full brand, the full corporate portfolio, and even the entire product category. The ONLY way to do that is to include those components in the research – and the best way to do that is to create the full shopping environment.
• Finally, we know that different channels and different retailers within a channel drive varying consumer expectations. For example, what works in Kroger may not work in Wal-Mart, what works in 7-Eleven may not work in Target, etc. With SimuShop, we can create the environment in the context of a specific store, allowing you to get true shopper insights.
  

SimuShop gives you the output similar to an in-market test (purchase incidence across SKU’s, sales dollars, volume, etc.) at a fraction of the cost and in a matter of weeks.