In an era where shopping from the couch has become second nature, businesses face a unique challenge: how to truly understand customers who continue to shop at brick-and-mortar stores and how to give them the best in-person experience.

The secret? Go where the action is, right into the stores, and talk to shoppers while their experience is still fresh in their minds. Studies show that the closer a customer is to their visit, the clearer and more vivid their feedback is. As time passes, valuable details start to fade, leaving businesses in the dark about what really drives customer satisfaction.

This first part of our two-part series on in-store intercepts delves into how to build a strong foundation for this market research technique. In part two, we’ll share best practices for writing and conducting successful intercepts.

Intercepts involve a lot of moving parts, especially when coordinating multiple locations where you must keep tabs on the interviewers getting situated, as well as quota progress. Understanding intricacies and how to plan accordingly is key to an intercept study’s success.

• Initial Communication: First and foremost, the store must be notified that a study will take place, and a solid communication plan between the intercept team, target store, and employees must be developed. In-depth kickoff meetings with key staff members on both teams help to ensure that the study runs smoothly. 
• Schedule Smart: Consider holidays, special events, weather forecasts, and any other factors that might reduce foot traffic or make store visits challenging. Avoid scheduling on slow days to maximize interactions; consult with store managers or employees to identify the best days and times to reach the most shoppers. If unexpected events occur, don’t hesitate to reschedule, keeping research on track without wasting time and resources.
• Over-communicate: People are busy and mistakes happen. To stay ahead, cover every base: send regular reminders, set clear deadlines, and keep tasks simple. Provide all necessary information upfront to reduce confusion and minimize follow-ups. Obtain and share contact information between intercept team members and store employees. Confirm and reconfirm details ahead of time, including the day before and day of.
• Document everything: Always save emails and messages with timestamps. This way, when someone new gets pulled in or someone adjacent to the project has questions, documentation and approvals can be shared easily. This is particularly important if confusion arises, or if critical information needs to be referenced with short notice. 

Lastly:

• Flexibility Is Essential: No matter how airtight a plan is, issues can and will arise on launch day: store managers call out sick without notification, pipes burst and temporarily close locations, etc. Stay calm, adapt quickly, and have a general contingency plan in place to address potential disruptions. Being prepared to pivot ensures your project stays on track, even when the unexpected happens.

Even the strongest intercept plan falls flat without willing participants. No matter how well you prepare, if customers aren’t motivated to engage, effort won’t deliver results.

Short, two-minute surveys typically require little incentive; most people are open to spare a moment. As survey length increases, so does the need for a thoughtful incentive strategy. Compensation can greatly impact participation rates, but also must align with project budgets, timelines, and client preferences.

Equally important is deciding how to incentivize. Different options come with their own benefits and drawbacks, and choosing the right one can make or break the experience for both customers and store partners.

Cash

• Pros: Simple, immediate, and universally appealing; everyone can use it.
• Cons: Can raise safety concerns for interviewers, appear unprofessional in some settings, and risks confusion if communication with staff isn’t clear.

Physical Gift Cards

• Pros: Professional appearance and easy for customers to understand and use.
• Cons: Requires upfront planning and distribution, may include additional costs, and can lack appeal (i.e., not everyone wants discounts at Starbucks).

Digital Gift Cards

• Pros: Safe, secure, and eliminates the need for on-site handling.
• Cons: Involves more backend logistics, and some customers may be reluctant to share contact information to receive them.

Ultimately, the best incentive option comes down to balancing project needs, budget, logistics, and client preferences. No solution is perfect; each comes with trade-offs in effort, cost, and participant appeal. The key is to align your choice with the project location and audience, while ensuring a smooth, professional experience for both customers and store staff. Thoughtful incentive planning isn’t just a detail, it’s a critical part of delivering successful, high-quality intercept research.

Intercept research is about meeting customers in the moment, in-store, and ready to share, but success takes more than a clipboard. It requires smart planning, clear communication, flexibility, and the right incentives. From timing to reward options, every detail shapes the experience. When done right, intercepts don’t just collect data, they deliver meaningful insights that strengthen in-person customer connections.

John Spirk, Senior Research and Insights Associate

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we discuss best practices for conducting an in-store intercept.