As shopping behaviors continue to evolve across physical and digital channels, shopper research has become essential for understanding how consumers discover, evaluate and purchase products. From in-store observation and path-to-purchase studies to e-commerce analytics, shelf testing and retail experience measurement, shopper insights help brands and retailers make smarter merchandising, marketing and product decisions.
The companies featured in this directory offer a wide range of shopper research capabilities designed to uncover the motivations, behaviors and decision drivers that shape purchasing outcomes. Whether you’re seeking to optimize packaging, improve retail execution, evaluate omnichannel performance or better understand category dynamics, these providers can deliver the data and expertise needed to inform strategy. Explore the listings below to connect with partners specializing in today’s rapidly changing shopper landscape.
aytm
Founded 2009 | 150 employees
Lev Mazin, CEO and Co-founder
Shop the shelf before you stock it! Most research tools measure what people say they prefer, not how they actually behave when the moment comes. aytm closes that gap with two simulation-based question types: e-commerce and shelf test. Researchers can place real products and ad creative inside true-to-life replicas of Amazon, Walmart, Target and the physical retail shelf, then observe what respondents click, scroll past and add to their cart. The result is behavioral metrics – time-to-first-click, attention span, purchase selection – that reveal what’s actually driving consumer decisions, not just what consumers claim they’d do. For teams looking to mitigate wasted spend, it’s a rare chance to validate concepts long before committing to production.
Email: marketing@aytm.com
aytm.com
BARE International
Founded 1987 | 650,000+ field force
Mike Bare, CEO
Jason Bare, President
BARE International is a global market research firm specializing in customer experience, employee experience and loyalty measurement. Founded in 1987, BARE is a family-owned business headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area with operations around the world. Born from the need for mystery customer research at a national and global level, BARE has grown into one of the largest independent providers of customer experience research, data and analytics. We design and execute customized research programs that deliver actionable insights on satisfaction, service performance and operational consistency. Today, BARE supports clients in more than 165 countries, helping organizations identify opportunities for improvement, strengthen customer retention and enhance employee engagement through data-driven decision-making.
Phone: 1-800-296-6699
www.bareinternational.com
Decision Analyst
Founded 1978 | 100 employees
Bonnie Janzen, President
Felicia Rogers, Executive Vice President
Decision Analyst helps clients develop and sustain winning brands. At Decision Analyst, we leverage a wide range of qualitative and quantitative techniques to uncover both deliberate decision-making and subconscious influences. We explore the subconscious drivers that shape how consumers navigate stores, respond to packaging and interact with displays, as well as the intentional behaviors that guide brand choice, comparison and purchase. The idea is to uncover why, how, when and where consumers make purchasing decisions and the processes they use to do it. This understanding applies across all retail channels, including physical stores, online platforms (websites and apps) and omnichannel experiences that blend these approaches. Decision Analyst is a leader in advanced analytics, retail sales analyses and data mining, mathematical modeling and simulation. Decision Analyst is committed to the highest quality standards and maintains certification in ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
Email: bjanzen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 1-817-640-6166
www.decisionanalyst.com/services/shopperinsights
Indiefield
Founded 1998 | 16 employees
Tara Lyons, CEO
Shopper research is not about what people say they do. It is about what they do when it counts. The moment of choice is instinctive and often invisible. That is where the real story lives. Exit surveys capture it cleanly. Right after the decision, while it is still fresh. What was bought, what was considered, what tipped the balance. We also go further. In-store intercepts that catch shoppers mid-journey. Accompanied shops that reveal how decisions unfold step by step. Mystery shopping that tests the experience from the inside. Online path-to-purchase studies that track behavior as it happens. Different methods, one principle: Stay as close to the decision as possible. At Indiefield, we focus on real shoppers in real environments, with tight control around who they are and how they are recruited. Because the truth about shopping is not a moment. It is a sequence. And if you miss the steps, you misunderstand the choice.
Phone: 44-20-8245-8000
indiefield.co.uk
Outset
Founded 2022 | 51 employees
Aaron Cannon, CEO and Co-founder
Michael Hess, CTO and Co-founder
Outset is the first and only AI-moderated research platform that listens, sees and understands. Through its instant guide creation, dynamic probing, vision-aware moderation, automated reporting and broad multilingual capabilities, Outset helps customers scale their qualitative research and conduct studies that would be otherwise impossible, all without sacrificing depth or rigor. Often used for concept tests, in-home testing, diary studies, shop-alongs, brand research, creative testing and more, Outset has powered some of the most business-critical decisions at companies like Nestle, Microsoft, Uber, Hubspot and Google. Built by researchers, for researchers. You’re in good hands with Outset. Connect with us at sales@outset.ai to learn more.
Email: sales@outset.ai
outset.ai
ReadingMinds.ai
Founded 2025 | 12 employees
Stu Sjouwerman, CEO
ReadingMinds.ai is an AI-native voice interview platform that turns real customer conversations into emotional decision signals your agents can act on. You get a platform built for speed and proof, powered by an emotionally intelligent AI interviewer called Emma. She runs natural voice interviews 24/7, no scheduling required. Marketing and revenue teams use ReadingMinds to capture what customers feel, not just what they say, then convert those signals into sharper positioning, stronger messaging, better pipeline quality and higher conversion rates. Every output is traceable and quote-backed, so teams can see exactly what changed and why. Results are delivered in hours, not weeks, with clear themes, emotional intensity scoring and evidence that aligns marketing, sales and leadership around real buying behavior. Collaborate easily across teams while keeping everything centralized, structured and ready for action. Start your Live Test Drive and see the signal for yourself.
Email: support@readingminds.ai
www.readingminds.ai