1. Specify how the respondents should be approached in the store.

2. Write out the exact introductory remarks that you would use.

3. Should the interview be in the store, or should the questionnaire be self-administered at home and mailed in, or should some other strategy be employed?

4. If a self-administered questionnaire is used, write an introduction to it.

5. What could be done to encourage a high response rate?

Essex Markets was a chain of supermarkets in a medium-sized California city. For six years, it had provided its customers with unit pricing of grocery products. The unit prices were provided in the form of shelf tags that showed the price of the item and the unit price (e.g., the price per ounce). The program was costly. The tags had to be prepared and updated. Further, because they tended to become dislodged or moved, considerable effort was required to make sure that they were current and in place.

A study was proposed to evaluate unit pricing. Among the research questions in the study were the following:

• What percentage of shoppers was aware of unit pricing?

• What percentage of shoppers used unit pricing?

• With what frequency was unit pricing in use?

• What types of shoppers used unit pricing?

• For what product classes was it used most frequently?

• Was it used to compare package sizes and brands or to evaluate store-controlled labels?

It was determined that a five-page questionnaire completed by around 1,000 shoppers would be needed. The questionnaire could be completed in the store in about 15 minutes, or the respondent could be asked to complete it at home and mail it in.