In-Store Video Research at Scale: A 300-Video Shopper Study Across Three Canadian Retail Channels

The Challenge

A major beverage brand needed to understand how consumers interacted with retail environments and beverage displays in real time across Canada.

The study was built around 150 qualified respondents producing two separate videos each, 300 videos in total. Respondents were recruited across three retailer types: large conventional grocery stores, discount grocery stores, and gas/convenience stores. Approximately 20% of the target sample was French Canadian.

Each respondent had to complete an unaided shopping-trip video and a separate POI/POS deep-dive video at the same approved retailer location.

Behind a simple brief sat a demanding operation.

Respondents had to travel to an approved store, record two videos, narrate their experience, show required shopping information, capture relevant beverage displays and promotional signage, manage privacy considerations, and transfer large video files.

Some store locations did not permit filming, acceptance criteria had to be interpreted consistently across hundreds of videos, and files frequently exceeded 1 GB each.

Recruitment was equally demanding. A strict category screener narrowed the qualifying pool considerably, and the French Canadian quota required its own dedicated recruitment approach.

How We Responded

Ethos built a recruitment and respondent-support model designed for the complexity of the study.

Multi-channel recruitment: Panel recruitment was combined with external recruitment channels and a dedicated French-language outreach flow to reach francophone shoppers.

AI-assisted respondent follow-up: AI voice calling complemented email, re-engaging qualified respondents and keeping participants moving toward completed submissions.

Internal video review before submission: Both respondent videos were reviewed internally before approved files were transferred to the client review environment. This added another layer of quality control before client QA.

Structured tracking and status management: Qualified respondent information, retailer details, upload names, video status, and QA outcomes were maintained through a centralized tracking system while the team coordinated recruitment, uploads, redos, and client feedback.

Operational safeguards for future fieldwork: Ethos turned the project into a repeatable operating framework for video-heavy research, calling for client-approved QA criteria, pilot batches, visual respondent checklists, filming-permission rules, clearer redo procedures, hard-quota planning, and protection for respondents making good-faith attempts.

Tools & Research Methods Used

Online Screening & Qualification: Respondent survey responses were reviewed against the project qualification criteria before participants entered the fieldwork stage.

Centralized Recruitment Tracking: A master tracking system was used to manage qualification status, retailer information, uploads, QA outcomes, and respondent follow-up.

Email Outreach: Used for qualification confirmations, respondent instructions, reminders, and dedicated French-language communication.

AI Voice Calling: Used as an additional follow-up method for qualified respondents who were not responding through email alone.

External Recruitment Channels: Added to expand reach for difficult-to-fill quotas, particularly French Canadian respondents.

Video Upload & Review Workflow: Large respondent files were received, reviewed internally, and then transferred into the client review process.

Manual Video QA: Both respondent videos were checked against project requirements before client submission, with redos and re-submissions managed when necessary.

Results & Lessons Learned

✅ Built and operated a recruitment workflow supporting a target of 150 respondents / 300 videos across three Canadian retail channels

✅ Deployed a multi-channel recruitment model combining panel recruitment, targeted outreach, external recruitment channels, email, and AI calling

✅ Codified clear video acceptance standards covering missing required content, incomplete display review, incorrect retailer selection, missing narration, short or edited recordings, and incomplete shopping information

✅ Developed a stronger launch framework for future video studies, including pilot testing, visual instructions, defined QA criteria, hard-quota planning, upload testing, filming-permission rules, and respondent-protection standards

Project Timeline

Fieldwork was planned around two milestones:

July 23, 2026: 50% of the target sample, 75 respondents / 150 videos.

July 31, 2026: Full sample, 150 respondents / 300 videos.

Key Takeaway

High-effort in-store video research requires more than strong recruitment.

Success depends on aligning the screener, respondent instructions, retailer permissions, video requirements, QA criteria, upload process, payment rules, and hard-quota strategy before fieldwork begins.

The project gives Ethos a proven operating framework for future video-based research: test the process with a small pilot, front-load difficult quotas, simplify respondent instructions, confirm where filming is permitted, establish objective acceptance criteria, and combine human support with automation throughout fieldwork.

The lesson was not simply how to recruit more respondents. It was how to design a video-research operation that protects data quality, respondents, timelines, and client delivery from the start.

Methodology Tags: In-Store Video Research | Shopper Research | POI/POS Research | AI Voice Calling | Multi-Channel Recruitment | Quality Assurance

Research Methods Used: Online Screening | Email Outreach | AI Voice Calling | External Recruitment | Centralized Tracking | Video QA | Client Review Workflow

Project Snapshot: 150 respondent target | 300-video target | 3 retail channels | ~20% French Canadian target | 2 videos per respondent

Timeline: July 23, 2026, 50% milestone | July 31, 2026, full sample

Work With Ethos Market Research

Ethos Market Research delivers in-store and video-based shopper research across Canada, with bilingual recruitment and rigorous quality control built in.

Call 1-800-525-4134, email bids@ethosmr.com or request a quote to talk about your next study.