Driving Product Optimization Through Central Location Testing: UK Consumer Insights for Salty Snacks

Client

Global manufacturer of ready-to-eat (RTE) food and beverage products

Service

Product Testing

Sector

Packaged Foods & Consumer Snacks

Coverage

United Kingdom (London and Manchester)

In a competitive and flavor-driven snacks market, a leading RTE food manufacturer partnered with us to assess consumer behavior trends and responses to a new flavor profile of salty snacks. The objective was to capture authentic, in-the-moment feedback on taste, texture, and overall appeal through controlled, trial-based testing models, generating insights to inform product iteration cycles and go-to-market strategy.

The Challenge

Launching a new product in the crowded snack category requires precision in both flavor development and market fit. The client needed to determine whether a reformulated or new flavor would meet consumer expectations across different UK markets. With fast-moving snack trend forecasting and evolving taste preference segmentation, the study aimed to evaluate immediate sensory experience testing and gather preference data in a structured, repeatable environment.

What We Did

We conducted a two-day Central Location Testing (CLT) study, recruiting 200 consumers aged 18 to 55 who were active purchasers of salty snacks, with focus groups in London and consumer trials in Manchester. The study was designed to support flavor validation research, evaluate taste appeal metrics, and conduct a comparative snack category analysis.

Participants attended two consecutive one-hour sessions:

• Day 1: Each respondent tasted and evaluated four pre-assigned snack products (~15 minutes per sample).

• Day 2: Respondents returned to taste an additional four samples, following a new rotation.

All products were pre-portioned into clean, coded sample containers prepared by the research team. Evaluations were conducted using tablets at each tasting station, with data captured digitally via the client’s proprietary platform, incorporating digital survey capture and live feedback collection. Online evaluation logic and data-driven formulation programming were managed by the client’s tech-enabled research team.

The Impact of the Research

The study delivered immediate and actionable insights into consumer taste discovery, aiding the client’s research-based product pivot and go-to-market decision-making. Respondents provided real-time consumer input in a standardized environment, enabling competitive benchmarking for snacks and identifying potential flavor champions. The use of CLT allowed for consistent, regional food R&D validation, while the dual-day format increased engagement and data reliability through multi-day trial methods.

Outcomes supported snack brand optimization, product success mapping, and further snack innovation analysis, ultimately refining the final product through experience-led insights and snack feedback analysis. The research also informed the client’s panel recruitment strategy, target group profiling, and enhanced decision-support analytics for future product lines.

Turn consumer reactions into product success – contact us to validate, refine, and optimize your next food innovation strategy with expert-led FMCG research solutions.