Consumers offer 'fresh' purchase data when questioned in the store

Purchase Observation Studies are conducted by market researchers to gain insights as to consumers' reasons for purchasing goods (and brands) at the time of purchase. The technique of intercepting consumers for questionnaire responses at the time of, or immediately following, purchase is deemed to be a more accurate method of assessing marketing data, because it does not rely upon the public's memory. Purchase Observation Studies are also considered superior to more traditional methods of surveying consumers of infrequently purchased items, consumers making urgent marketing decisions, consumers' perceptions of in-store competition, consumers who are purchasing limited rollouts of merchandise, consumers dealing with new products or services, consumers who are purchasing several products at the same time, consumers for whom questions of price and prestige are important, and consumers who are experiencing complex sales channels. The intercept market research techniques may also limit the researcher's legal liability and risk related to performing the study.