How to plan an in-store day: from briefing to report.
A good store day is mostly decided before the doors open. Here is how to choose the stores, agree the day with the retailer, brief the team, set up, run the day and report what it achieved.
7 min read7 steps6 checks
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Plan in-store days around when your shoppers are in, not around when it's easiest to cover the shifts.The one thing to remember
Start
Start here
The day, in the order it runs.
From choosing the stores to the report, the way an in-store demo or tasting day runs. Follow the line; tap any point to read it.
01Step 1 of 7
Choose the stores and the days
Start with stores that stock the product and where your customers already shop.
Competing promotions
Refits
Range resets
Stock deliveries
A store with the right shoppers and a full shelf beats a flagship with the wrong ones.
If the aim is to learn what works, a series of days across several stores tells you far more than one big day in one store.
Check the store calendar before fixing dates: competing promotions, refits, range resets and stock deliveries can all clash with a demo day.
Weekends bring the most shoppers, but quieter weekday late mornings can give longer conversations, so match the day to what the product needs.
Key pointPlan in-store days around when your shoppers are in, not around when it's easiest to cover the shifts.
02Step 2 of 7
Agree it with the retailer and the store
The individual store needs to know: the store manager, or the department manager, should hear about the day from you, not from the person who turns up on the morning.
Date and times
Where in the store
Table size
Power
Stock collection
Store contact
Agree the details in writing and share them with the team: date and times, where in the store, stand or table size, what can be handed out or cooked, power, where stock is collected from, where staff sign in and take breaks, and a named store contact.
A short call to the store a few days before confirms nothing has changed.
This store liaison is the step most often skipped, and the one that causes most problems on the day.
03Step 3 of 7
Brief the person on the day
The person in store needs the product facts shoppers ask about, the offer and price in that store, where the product sits on the shelf, what they must not say and what to record.
Add the store's address, sign-in details, the store contact's name and who to call if something goes wrong.
Products that need explaining, such as appliances, beauty devices or anything technical, benefit from product training before the first day, not just a written brief.
If store colleagues will keep selling the product after the day, the visiting team can brief them too, so the knowledge stays in store when the stand comes down.
Send the brief a few days ahead, and follow it with a short call before the first shift.
04Step 4 of 7
Arrival and set-up
Allow time before the shift starts.
An aisle end
A wide walkway
Near the entrance
The team signs in, meets the store contact, collects stock and kit, and sets up in the agreed spot without blocking the aisle or emergency routes.
The best spot is close to the shelf where the product is sold: an aisle end, a wide walkway or near the entrance, with room for a small queue.
Check the shelf before starting. If stock is low or the product is in the wrong place, raise it with the store contact at once, because a demo that sends shoppers to an empty gap undoes itself.
A photo of the set-up and the shelf at the start of the day is useful for the report.
05Step 5 of 7
Running the day
Tastings suit food and drink; demonstrations suit products that need showing, such as kitchen appliances, cleaning products and beauty tools.
Tastings
Demonstrations
Both
Keep the routine short and repeatable, and invite shoppers in with a question rather than a pitch. Many products work best with both: a demonstration followed by a taste or a tester.
Keep the area clean and safe throughout, follow food hygiene rules for open food, and check ages for anything age-restricted.
Take breaks at quieter times agreed with the store, and keep the store contact informed of anything that affects the shop floor.
Ask the team to note what shoppers ask and why they say no. Those notes are often the most useful part of the day.
06Step 6 of 7
Closing down and handing over
At the end of the shift, the team clears the area, returns or records unused stock as agreed, disposes of waste properly and leaves the space as they found it.
A quick word with the store contact before leaving, covering how the day went and any problems, keeps the store willing to host the next one.
If store colleagues were briefed during the day, leave them a short product sheet so the conversation can carry on after the team has gone.
07Step 7 of 7
Reporting what it achieved
Agree the measures before the first day: units sold during the hours of the demo compared with the same hours in a normal week, samples given out, conversations held, vouchers redeemed and questions asked.
Units sold
Samples
Conversations
Vouchers
Questions
Store sales data, where the retailer shares it, is the strongest evidence; counts and notes from the team explain the numbers.
A short report from each store day, with photos of the set-up and shelf, the counts, shopper feedback and any store issues such as low stock, lets you compare stores and plan the next round.
Checklist
Before the store day.
0/6
Ready for the store.
The day at a glance
What to agree, stage by stage.
What to agree or do at each stage of a store day, and what to watch for.
Far enough to get approval, agree the details with each store and brief the team properly. Retailers set their own timescales, so ask early.
Who do we need permission from?
The retailer first, then the individual store manager.
What is the best spot in a store?
Close to the shelf where the product is sold, without blocking the aisle: an aisle end, a wide walkway or near the entrance, with room for a small queue.
How do we measure a store day?
Compare sales during the demo hours with the same hours in a normal week, and add counts of samples, conversations and vouchers. Shopper questions and objections explain the numbers.
Can the visiting team train store staff too?
Yes, where the retailer agrees. A short briefing for store colleagues, plus a product sheet left behind, helps the product keep selling after the day.
EXECUTIONAL supplies demonstrators, samplers and brand trainers for supermarkets, department stores and specialist retailers across the UK, including store staff product training so store colleagues keep selling after the day.
