Retail Market Research Services

Touchstone Research is a trusted partner for retail market research, helping brands and retailers understand shopper behaviors, test marketing strategies, and optimize in-store and digital experiences. Whether you need concept validation, e-commerce usability insights, or full-scale market research for retailers, we deliver the clarity you need to stay competitive in today’s retail industry.

Market Research Services for Retailers

Retailers today are navigating rapid shifts—from e-commerce growth and changing shopper expectations to supply chain pressures and digital-first marketing. With so much at stake, making the wrong move can mean missed revenue opportunities or lost customer loyalty. Touchstone Research provides retail market research services that uncover real shopper behaviors, helping retailers and brands stay ahead in a competitive landscape.

Shopper Behavior Insights: Understand how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase across channels.
Omnichannel Experience Testing: Research that spans in-store, e-commerce, and mobile shopping journeys.
Marketing & Campaign Validation: Test creative, promotions, and messaging with real shoppers.
Packaging & Concept Testing: Ensure your products stand out on crowded shelves and online listings.
Trusted by Retail Leaders: Top brands and retailers rely on us for actionable retail market research.

Retail Market Research Services

Touchstone Research offers full-service retail market research solutions designed to help retailers and brands understand shoppers, test new concepts, and optimize marketing strategies. From packaging validation to omnichannel UX testing, our services deliver insights that drive better business outcomes across the retail industry.

Qualitative Retail Market Research

Uncover Deep Motivations Behind Shopping Behavior

Our qualitative services are designed to explore the “why” behind consumer decisions in the retail industry. Through in-depth interviews, focus groups, shop-alongs, diary studies, and ethnography, we provide rich, contextual insights into shopper attitudes, brand perception, and product interaction.

Ethnographic studies with fashion & lifestyle consumers

In-store and virtual focus groups

Shopper journey mapping

Retail UX interviews

Learn More About Qualitative Research

Quantitative Retail Market Research

Validate Strategies with Data-Backed Insights

Drive confident business decisions with scalable, high-precision retail market research surveys and advanced analytics. From brand tracking to concept testing, our quantitative methods help retailers understand performance metrics and forecast success.

Advanced analytics: MaxDiff, Conjoint, TURF

Awareness, Attitude & Usage (AAU) studies

Brand health tracking for retail brands

Retail concept, price, and package testing

Learn More About Quantitative Research

Retail Recruitment & Fieldwork

Reach the Right Retail Consumers—Fast

From budget-conscious shoppers to luxury buyers, our recruitment team delivers high-quality, pre-screened participants for all your market research in retail industry needs. We ensure demographic, behavioral, and psychographic alignment across projects.

In-person and virtual fieldwork

Nationwide and local shopper recruitment

Specialty panels: Gen Z, multicultural, digital buyers

High show rates and detailed tech checks

Learn More About Qualitative Recruitment

Retail UX Research

Optimize Digital Shopping Experiences

Improve your eCommerce or app interfaces through tailored market research for retailers focused on user experience. Our UX research methods provide actionable feedback from real users, ensuring your platforms align with retail best practices and shopper expectations.

Mobile ethnography & app flow testing

Usability testing of online retail platforms

A/B testing for conversion optimization

Journey mapping for digital commerce

Learn More About UX Research

Retail Insight Communities & Panels

Continuous Insights from Custom Retail Communities

Create a custom community or panel to continuously gather feedback on product launches, promotions, and shopper experiences. These platforms support both qualitative and quantitative retail market research needs in a flexible, scalable format.

Multimedia testing and co-creation activities

Fashion, CPG, and retail consumer panels

Pop-up or ongoing communities

Segmentation studies and trend tracking

Learn More Communities & Panels

Dial Tester for Retail Content Testing

Real-Time Feedback on Retail Content and Campaigns

Test your retail ads, promotional content, or in-store videos using our proprietary Dial Tester. Capture moment-to-moment reactions from your target audience, helping you fine-tune messages that resonate across channels.

Actionable reporting with heat maps & engagement curves

Evaluate retail video ads, in-store displays, and more

Segment analysis by demographic or shopper type

Optional integration with Secure Content Testing (SCT)

Learn More About Dial Tester

Secure Content Testing (SCT) for Retail Research

Unmatched Protection for Confidential Retail Content

When testing unreleased packaging, campaigns, or product visuals, our Secure Content Testing platform provides unparalleled protection. SCT ensures your assets remain confidential during retail industry market research—perfect for high-stakes launches.

Peace of mind for pre-release creative testing

User-level and forensic watermarking

Compatible with surveys, IDIs, focus groups

Works across media, print, concept boards, and more

Learn More About SCT

Secure Content Testing (SCT) for Retail Research

Retail Audiences We Reach Through Market Research

Successful retail market research begins with connecting to the right audiences. Touchstone Research engages diverse consumer segments—online and offline—to uncover authentic insights that guide smarter retail strategies.

Fashion Enthusiasts
Value Shoppers
Luxury Shoppers
Tech-Savvy Shoppers
Sustainability-Conscious Consumers
Gen Z & Millennials
Professional & Business Attire Seekers

Athleisure & Fitness Enthusiasts
Parents & Family Shoppers
Multicultural Audiences
Occasional Shoppers
Digital Influencers & Creators
Loyal Brand Followers

Retail Market Research FAQs

Retailers often ask how market research can help them adapt to shifting consumer behaviors and omnichannel challenges. Here are answers to the most common questions about retail market research.

What is retail market research?

Retail market research is the process of studying consumer behaviors, shopping journeys, and market trends to help retailers and brands optimize product offerings, store experiences, and marketing strategies.

How to do market research for a retail store?

Market research for a retail store typically involves analyzing customer demographics, surveying shoppers, evaluating in-store and online behaviors, testing packaging and promotions, and monitoring competitors. Touchstone Research provides both qualitative and quantitative methods to give retailers actionable insights.

Why is market research important in the retail industry?

The retail industry is fast-moving and competitive. Market research provides data on shopper expectations, brand perceptions, and purchasing behaviors, helping retailers reduce risk and improve sales performance.

What types of market research are used in retail?

Retail research includes surveys, focus groups, shopper journey mapping, packaging tests, UX studies for e-commerce, and concept validation. Touchstone Research offers all these services for retailers.

How does retail market research help e-commerce brands?

E-commerce research analyzes digital shopper journeys, testing site usability, online packaging, and digital promotions to improve conversions and loyalty in online retail environments.

What audiences can be reached with retail market research?

Touchstone connects with everyday shoppers, parents, Gen Z, multicultural consumers, and loyalty program members—segments critical for retail success.

How do retail market research companies ensure data quality?

We use multi-step recruitment verification, advanced analytics, and compliance with SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and CPRA standards to ensure accurate and reliable insights.

Can retail market research be conducted globally?

Yes. We conduct retail market research in 60+ international markets, ensuring cultural relevance and accurate shopper insights across regions.

Trusted by Global Brands

What Our Clients Are Saying About Us

With the knowledge gained in our user research efforts with Touchstone, we have been empowered to make more data informed decisions about our product by keeping user behavior and motivation at the forefront of our work. Along with being flexible in our partnership model, Touchstone has supported this effort by offering a dedicated team that continues to learn about our unique product and business needs and provides quick turnaround for recruitment, facilitation, and topline reports.

Senior Digital Product Manager
Ed-Tech Company
Touchstone Research has been an invaluable partner in our product design process, helping us reach a hard-to-reach population (K-12) students, and upholding the highest standards around safety and accessibility for participants. … Having worked with other research panels in the past, Touchstone has the best customer service, and panel quality. We plan to keep working together for the foreseeable future!

UX Researcher
Ed-Tech Company
My team has collaborated on a number of quantitative projects, and Touchstone has consistently delivered high-quality analysis and maintained excellent communication throughout the project. Their insights have directly contributed to shaping our team’s strategy and we plan to continue working with them in the future.

UX Researcher
Music & Video Streaming Company