30-Second Shelf Test
Stand in a grocery aisle for 30 seconds. Watch how people shop. 👀 You'll learn more about your brand than you can imagine.
The 30-second shelf test that reveals everything about your food brand.
Stand in a grocery aisle for 30 seconds.
Watch how people shop. 👀
You’ll learn more about your brand than you can imagine.
I do this with every brand I evaluate
(yes, I’m that weird guy at the grocery store LOL)
The results are brutal but honest.
Here’s what those 30 seconds reveal:
👉🏻 Second 1-5: Can they find you?
If shoppers walk past your product twice, you’ve already lost. Your packaging is wallpaper.
👉🏻 Second 6-10: Do they understand you?
Watch their face. Confusion = death. If they’re squinting at your package trying to decode what you are, they’re already moving on.
👉🏻 Second 11-15: Does your promise matter?
They picked you up. Now what? If they can’t connect your benefit to their life in 3 seconds, back on the shelf you go.
👉🏻 Second 16-20: Is your price justified?
The flip to check price. Then the pause. If they can’t immediately justify the cost based on what they just learned, you’re done.
👉🏻 Second 21-25: Do they trust you?
The ingredient scan. The brand check. Looking for reasons to say no. Most brands give them plenty.
👉🏻 Second 26-30: The decision
Cart or shelf. That’s it. No second chances.
The harsh reality?
Most brands fail by second 10.
They’re so busy listing certifications, telling their founder story, or cramming in every possible benefit that they forget the shopper who’s already late for daycare pickup.
The brands that pass the test?
They answer one question clearly: “What problem do you solve for me?”
Everything else is just noise in aisle 7.
Next time you’re in a store, run the test on your own brand.
You might not like what you see.
But at least you’ll see what shoppers see.
And that’s where fixing it starts.