Client Story

How exit intercepts with non-buyers closed a $5 billion hole in sales

Every day, non-buyers walked out of this retailer’s stores empty-handed, taking roughly $5 billion a year in sales with them. Exit intercepts with validated store shoppers found 29% of intended shoppers couldn’t find what they came for, and the retailer used the data to stock what non-buyers wanted.

A woman in a beige top standing in a lit grocery aisle, holding a snack package and studying it with one hand on her neck

At a glance

Client: A retailer
About the retailer: A retailer, unnamed in the source, with a group of non-buyers leaving its stores empty-handed every day.
Solution: Exit intercept surveys on Surveys On The Go®, OmniTraffic® Data
Challenge: Stop the revenue that walks out with non-buyers — and into a competitor’s hands.
Method: Validated in-store and online shoppers on the SOTG app, with digital data collected before, during and after the store visit, so intenders could be asked why they did not buy.
Result: Roughly $5 billion a year in lost sales quantified, then closed by asking non-buyers what to stock and refining market, demo and geographic areas.

The goal

It’s a hole.

You know it’s there. Every day, a group of non-buyers exit your stores. And, as they leave with empty hands, your revenue runs out the door with them, right between your fingers.

And into your competitor’s hands.

Don’t let that happen. You can’t afford to lose. Protect your sales. Take a moment to look at how this retailer did it, by using non-buyer data to defeat lost sales. Their insights can help you, too.

Research was required

To fill the hole.

With a loss prevention plan. For this retailer, it meant talking to validated store shoppers. It’s the only way to ask intenders why they’re not buying your brand.

So, you can fix the shopper experience.

Spoiler alert: it’s do-able. By honing in on non-buyer needs, this retailer pulled sales from their competition.

Here’s how they did it…

Our approach

We used Surveys On The Go® (SOTG).

It’s 24/7 access to your in-store + online shoppers. These consumers have given their informed consent to share all their data — all the time. That means, you can run analysis on everything.

And, because it’s an app, the client got:

OmniTraffic® Data

Behavior Data® validated both online + in-store visit.

Every touch point

Digital data was collected before, during + after the store visit.

Accurate data

Only first-party panelists were used with informed consent (as always).

The results

They found a $5 billion dollar hole.

But, here’s how they fixed it—for good.

After quantifying the issue (~$5 billion/year).
They talked to non-buyers about what to stock.
Then, refined their market, demo + geographic areas.
And, with the data, they were able to get buyers what they wanted.

of shoppers left completely empty-handed.

$5 billion dollars

roughly, was being lost in annual sales.

16%

of intended shoppers weren’t actually buying anything.

29%

of intended shoppers couldn’t find items, so they didn’t buy.

About the retailer

A retailer, unnamed in the source, large enough that the shoppers who walk in intending to buy and leave empty-handed account for roughly $5 billion a year in lost sales.

About MFour

MFour solves the issues of data fraud and commoditization in research using validated consumer data and a groundbreaking end-to-end insights platform. Utilizing the 4.5 star rated iOS & Android Surveys On The Go® app, MFour collects validated consumer behaviors + surveys to gain deep insights into consumer journeys.

Ask the shoppers who left without buying.

Exit intercepts on Surveys On The Go® reach validated store visitors while the trip is still fresh, so non-buyers can tell you what they came in for and could not find.

Talk to an insights strategist