With the increasingly fierce competition, retailers find themselves at a crossroads in the pursuit of customer loyalty. The shopping experience, which represents a combination of various factors such as price, stock, and service, has become a determining factor for the public, directly impacting the profitability of establishments. A study by Opinion Box reveals that 81% of consumers are willing to spend more on companies that provide a good shopping experience, reinforcing the importance of investment in this sector.
Therefore, the concept of shopper has gained prominence as a strategic solution focused on optimizing the performance of stores and brands by promoting public satisfaction. Defined as people hired to act on demand, shoppers are responsible for carrying out strategic missions for retailers, such as market audits, price checking, customer satisfaction surveys, organization of stocks and shelves, and even making purchases in physical stores for orders that were placed online. Through these functions, professionals provide data that enable retailers to adjust processes and improve the management of sales points.
According to Thales Zanussi, founder and CEO of Mission Brazil, the largest rewarded services platform in the country, shoppers will be responsible for putting the services and products of a brand to the test, identifying ways to improve them, enhance their perception to consumers, and also facilitate the shopping experience. Basically, the hired individuals are responsible for testing the end-to-end shopping journey to generate insights about brand perception and competition, and also provide essential services for retail that make the shopkeeper’s daily life easier,” he explains.
According to the specialist, who leads a brand with over 800,000 registered users and 700,000 missions completed in more than 5,000 Brazilian municipalities, the adoption of shopper services provides direct benefits to retail. Through the work and the information collected by the professionals, the contractor can identify consumer trends, correct operational failures, improve customer service, and even perform daily tasks more quickly and efficiently.
“To give an idea of the impact, in 2024, 18,703 shopper missions were carried out on our Mission Brazil platform, addressing needs such as shelf restocking and organization, inventory maintenance, and fulfilling online orders,” Zanussi highlights. According to him, this data represents a 289% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
“We are talking about a current market where the shopping experience has become essential to attract and retain customers, thus a complete, agile, and quality service makes all the difference when it comes to ensuring consumer loyalty. In other words, the shopper provides an external view of the operation and promotes essential activities for retail, helping to ensure that what is being offered is aligned with what the public expects and desires,” adds.
Among the examples of practical improvements supported by the service, Zanussi highlights attention to the accessible positioning of products to the target audience, the improvement of service, the reduction of stockout effects, as well as identifying consumer trends and also agility in placing and receiving orders made through applications. “The analysis carried out by shoppers helps brands adjust their strategies quickly, ensuring a competitive edge in a sector that increasingly demands personalization and efficiency,” concludes Mission Brasil’s CEO.
