Executional Guide · In store
How to plan a day of tastings or demonstrations in a store, from choosing the shops and the spot to measuring what it sold.
Choose the stores and the days
A store day works best where the product is already on the shelf, so people who like what they try can buy it on the spot. Start with the stockists and the ones where your customers already shop.
Busy days are not always the best days. Weekends bring the biggest numbers, but weekday late mornings can give calmer shoppers more time to stop, taste and listen.
Check the store calendar as well. Price promotions, refits and seasonal resets can all change footfall and shelf space, so ask the store what is planned for your dates.
A series of days across a handful of stores often tells you more than one big day in one store. It shows which locations respond and gives you something to compare.
Agree the details with the store
Every store has its own rules on where a stand can go, what can be served, how long the activity can run and how deliveries arrive. Agree the date, the space and those rules well before the day.
Store teams are busy running the shop. A short note to the manager confirming the times, the stand size and a contact name makes the day easier for everyone.
Put the store agreement in writing and share it with the team on the day, so nobody is guessing where they can stand or what they can serve.
Find the right spot
The best spot catches shoppers on their way round without blocking the aisle. Ends of aisles, wide walkways near the category and areas by the entrance usually work well.
Close to the shelf is ideal, because a taste or a demo leads straight to the product. If the stand has to sit further away, make sure people know exactly where to find the product afterwards.
Leave room for a small queue. A crowd that spills into the aisle puts off other shoppers and the store team alike.
Tastings or demonstrations
Food and drink usually suits in store tastings: small portions, clear allergen information and a quick conversation while people try. The aim is a decision in the aisle, so keep it simple.
Products that need explaining suit product demonstrations, where a short routine shows the product at work and answers the common questions. Blenders, cleaning products and beauty tools all work well this way.
Keep the routine short. Most shoppers give a stand a minute or two, so the taste or demo should make its point in that time and leave the rest for anyone who wants to stay.
Many store days mix the two. A demo draws a small crowd, and a sample or tester then turns interest into a purchase.
Stock, display and the shelf
Check there is enough stock on the shelf before the day. A store day that sends people to an empty gap wastes the best part of the effort.
Point of sale displays near the stand and the shelf help people find the product again. If the product needs moving to a better position, agree it with the store in advance.
Plan for samples separately from shelf stock, and agree where both are kept during the day so the team can top up quickly.
Measure what it sold
Decide how to judge the day before it starts. Sales during demo hours compared with a normal day, voucher redemptions, samples handed out and questions asked all give a useful picture.
Ask the team to record the questions shoppers asked and any reasons they gave for not buying. Those notes are often more useful than the numbers when planning the next run.
A short daily note from the team on footfall, reactions and what people asked helps you plan the next run.
| Step | What to plan | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Stores and days | Stockists, busy and calm times | Comparing like with like |
| Store agreement | Space, rules, times, contact | Agreed in writing |
| Spot | Near the shelf, not blocking | Room for a queue |
| Format | Tasting, demo or both | Allergens, routine practised |
| Stock | Shelf stock and samples | Top ups through the day |
| Results | Sales, vouchers, feedback | Measure agreed in advance |
Before the first store
- Stockists chosen
- Date, space and rules agreed in writing
- Spot chosen near the shelf
- Enough shelf stock and samples
- How the day will be measured
Setting the aim, picking places and dates, staffing the days and agreeing what comes back, with every main option compared.
We supply demonstrators and sampling teams for supermarkets, food halls and independent shops across the UK, every person briefed on the product before they start. Our product demonstration page shows what we supply.
