July 10, 2025
The process involves stopping shoppers, screening them for appropriateness, and either administering a retail survey (or interview) on the spot or inviting them to a research facility to complete the interview. While not representative of the population in general, shopping mall customers do constitute a major share of the market for many products.
Traditionally, data collection for these surveys is done with the help of a person collecting data with pen and paper in a shopping mall (known as an Exit Survey) or when in the store as a Shopper Intercept. With the advancement in technology, it is now being done on an iPad, an Android tablet or an iPhone.
Shopper intercepts can also focus on a comparative analysis of several competing products known to the consumer or provide good estimates of brand recall and recognition. Surveys can also sample the opinions of consumers immediately after sampling a product. For example, airline consumer surveys where passengers in certain seats are asked to complete a questionnaire on customer service.
Usually, however, consumer intercept research takes the form of a one-to-one interview, rather than a self-administered questionnaire. Consumer intercepts are usually held to gain a fast and quick overview, as opposed to the more in-depth focus group methods or stratified or randomly selected samples, for which results can be generalised to a total population.
Field research interviewers are provided with interview blanks with detailed instructions regarding stemming and question flow, and are trained and role-play each interview before conducting interviews. The makeup of the target group guides the selection of ethnicity, age group, and other personal characteristics of interviewers.
The strategic advantages of consumer intercept surveys are the speed at which they can be conducted, their low cost, and the ability to poll many consumers. As the questionnaires are usually structured or semi-structured, coding is straightforward, and results can be provided in a short time.
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