Analysis
SmartStore
Create your store plan with an immersive, 360-degree simulation that puts you in the shoppers’ shoes.
Thinking like a shopper at the point of purchase
Mirror any in-store shopping experience with a virtual store environment. Find the “why behind the buy” through a remote testing system, giving you the data to design an aisle, department, shelf, and store that improves your results.
- Test before making physical changes
- Scenario planning in a secure setting
- Eliminate store disruption
Create the store of the future
Discover a virtual shopping experience designed to radically transform CPG/FMCG research. With SmartStore, you can create remarkably realistic and immersive three-dimensional, 360-degree store simulations. Leverage immersive testing capabilities away from your competitors, without disruption at the shelf, and with data to back up your recommendations.
1
Collaborative technology
A nimble software enables cross-functional teams to design in virtual reality, saving time and money without the need for physical prototypes.
2
Customized metrics for growth
Select the metrics that best determine success for your store, aisle, or category with a focus on sales and customer experience.
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Drive results at the shelf
Design a store that will continue to bring shoppers through your doors while supporting your growing e-commerce business.
Hear from Sandi Santa Ana, Director-Category Leadership from Ferrara as she speaks on how Ferrara Leverages New Virtual 3D Convenience Store Shelf Testing with NIQ
See it in action
With NielsenIQ SmartStore, you get insight into your shoppers that allows you to drive in-store product merchandising, be an influencer with retailers, and stay ahead of changing shopper trends.
How can we help?
We know not every question has an easy answer. Tell us your unique situation or what you might need, and we’ll work with you to find a solution that makes your life easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is SmartStore and how does it support in-store shopping decisions?
SmartStore™ is a virtual reality and AI-enabled virtual store solution that simulates real in-store shopping behavior. Using a realistic virtual environment, it allows businesses to test and optimize in-store shopping scenarios before rollout, improving the in-store experience and reducing execution risk.
- How does SmartStore improve the in-store experience?
SmartStore uses virtual reality to place shoppers in realistic retail environments, capturing what they see, do, and choose. This approach reveals how layout, signage, and shelf design influence the in-store experience and shopper decision-making.
- How does SmartStore replicate real in-store shopping behavior?
SmartStore recreates the physical shopping journey in VR, allowing shoppers to navigate aisles, pick up products, and purchase naturally. AI analytics then link this in-store shopping behavior to sales and conversion outcomes.
- How does SmartStore support better in-store execution?
SmartStore enables brands to test planograms, displays, and POS materials virtually, identifying which in-store executions drive the strongest shopper response. This data-driven approach ensures in-store strategies are optimized before reaching physical shelves.
- How does SmartStore uncover shopper behavior in-store?
By tracking movement, attention, and purchase decisions within the virtual store, SmartStore delivers AI-powered insights into the full in-store shopping journey. These insights help brands improve navigation, placement, and shopper engagement.
- Why use SmartStore instead of physical store testing?
SmartStore allows rapid, confidential testing of multiple in-store experience scenarios without disrupting live stores. AI-driven validation ensures results closely mirror real-world performance, enabling faster and more confident decision-making.
- How does SmartStore support confident decision-making?
SmartStore combines shopper behavior, stated feedback, and AI analytics to quantify which in-store strategies will perform best. This evidence-based approach helps teams justify recommendations with clear, retailer-ready proof.
- How does SmartStore help future-proof the in-store experience?
SmartStore enables continuous testing and learning by simulating future in-store concepts before implementation. AI insights ensure brands stay aligned with changing shopper expectations and optimize the in-store experience over time.