Understanding retail customer experience, how people shop, what drives their decisions, which channels they prefer, and what shapes their loyalty has never been more critical for retail brands. In a rapidly evolving footwear market, one leading European retailer turned to Staffino to obtain a clear, data-driven picture of today’s shoppers.
Through Staffino’s robust respondent database and retail market research capabilities, the client received a comprehensive evaluation of customer behaviour, brand perception, and competitive positioning. This article breaks down how the research was conducted, what insights emerged, and how businesses across industries can benefit from similar studies.
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Retail Market Research Project Overview
Client Background
The client is a well-known European footwear retailer with a strong presence both online and offline. Like many retail brands, they faced questions essential for strategic planning:
- What drives people to buy shoes today
- How loyal are customers to footwear brands?
- What role does convenience play in the purchasing journey?
- Which competitors dominate consumers’ minds?
To answer these questions, the retailer partnered with the Staffino CX platform to conduct large-scale, targeted consumer research.
Research Scope and Methodology
Staffino leveraged its extensive respondent database in Slovakia, which includes more than 26,000 active participants. From this pool, 1,084 high-quality responses were collected, ensuring a representative sample of shoe shoppers across demographics.
The study explored:
- Online vs. offline shopping behaviour
- Purchase drivers and decision-making criteria
- Brand awareness and perception
- Convenience expectations
- Loyalty indicators
- Competitive benchmarks
To boost engagement, respondents had a chance to win one of three €50 vouchers, resulting in strong customer survey participation and enriched data quality.
Key Findings: How People Really Shop for Shoes
1. Style Outweighs Discounts
The research showed a clear trend: 86% of respondents bought shoes simply because they liked them. Visual appeal was the strongest motivator, significantly outperforming discounts, seasonal promotions, or replacing damaged shoes.
Investing in assortment curation, clear aesthetic identity, and strong product presentation, both online and in-store, can have a greater impact than aggressive discounting alone.
2. Convenience Is a Decisive Factor
Present-day shoppers expect flexibility. 7 out of 10 respondents stated that options such as in-store product returns for online purchases, and in-store pick-up for online orders are very important to their shopping experience.
Omnichannel convenience is no longer optional. Retailers that remove friction and integrate online and offline experiences stand to gain a significant competitive edge.
3. Brand Awareness ≠ Loyalty
A small group of major footwear players dominates consumer awareness, but loyalty isn’t locked in. The research revealed an opportunity for emerging brands to differentiate themselves.
Strong storytelling, distinct brand identity, and memorable in-store or digital experiences can help challengers rise above the noise.
4. Customer Loyalty Is Still Up for Grabs
Most respondents reported low emotional attachment to any specific brand or store. This means purchase decisions are still highly influenceable.
There is tremendous potential for brands that invest in customer experience, loyalty programs, and personalised engagement.
Deliverables and Value for the Client
In addition to the abovementioned statistics, Staffino provided the retailer with a full retail market research report, including a precise evaluation of:
- how customers perceive them relative to key competitors
- which strengths resonate most
- where gaps and opportunities exist
This allowed the footwear retailer to prioritise areas for improvement and focus on differentiation.
Why This Market Research in Retail Matters
In today’s competitive footwear landscape, decisions driven by assumptions can lead to costly missteps. The results of this study demonstrate that:
- Differentiation relies more on style and storytelling than on discounting
- Customers expect seamless omnichannel experiences
- Brand loyalty is not fixed, and retailers can earn it through experience
Most importantly, the research enabled the client to make evidence-based decisions aligned with real consumer expectations.
Conclusion
The footwear retailer now holds a sharper, data-backed understanding of how shoppers think and behave and how to meet their expectations in a crowded market. With clear directions on brand positioning, customer engagement, and omnichannel strategy, they are well-equipped to strengthen their competitive standing.
If your organisation wants to gain similar clarity and uncover insights that truly drive results, retail market research companies like Staffino can help.
Let’s talk about how we can support your next online retail market research initiative.
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FAQ
Effective market research starts with defining clear objectives, i.e., what you want to learn and why. From there, select the appropriate target audience, choose the right methods (surveys, interviews, competitive analysis, etc.), and use reliable tools for data collection. Finally, analyse the results to uncover patterns and translate them into practical recommendations. Partnering with an experienced research provider like Staffino ensures high-quality sampling and actionable insights.
Retail market research focuses on understanding customer behaviour, buying motivations, brand perception, and market trends within the retail environment. It helps retailers make informed decisions about product selection, pricing, store experience, competition, and marketing strategies, all based on data rather than assumptions.
Common tools include survey platforms, customer feedback systems, analytics dashboards, and specialised market research tools. Staffino combines a large respondent database with advanced feedback and reporting capabilities, making it a powerful all-in-one solution for collecting and interpreting customer insights.
Retail stores can gather data through customer surveys, in-store observations, loyalty programs, online behaviour tracking, and competitor analysis. Identifying customer needs, preferences, and pain points is key. Using a research partner like Staffino helps streamline the process and ensures high-quality responses representative of actual shoppers.
While models vary, market research typically revolves around seven guiding questions:
- Who is the customer?
- What do they need or want?
- Why do they buy (or not buy)?
- When and how do they shop?
- Where do they shop?
- Who are the competitors?
- What influences customer satisfaction and loyalty?
The five common research methods are:
- Surveys and questionnaires
- Interviews and focus groups
- Observation and in-store studies
- Secondary research and market reports
- Customer feedback and behavioural analytics
