When Glanbia Performance Nutrition launched their new Isopure Protein Water at Costco, they had every reason to expect a massive hit. The concept had performed as a "super-star" in extensive pre-launch consumer research. However, shortly after its exclusive, nationwide rollout, initial post-launch results were not as expected, presenting an opportunity to optimize the retail strategy.
To uncover what was impacting performance, Glanbia needed to step into the shopper’s shoes and understand the point-of-purchase experience. In their presentation at the 2026 CMA | SIMA Elevate Conference, Gina Zilleox and Matt Clement shared how Glanbia used Vista Grande’s Shopper Stream™ to transform shopper signals into actionable insights—and ultimately drive sales success.
The Challenge: A Disconnect Between Concept and Cart
Before launch, determining the right in-store location for this new-to-world innovation was a challenge. Because pre-launch consumer research yielded mixed results regarding where shoppers expected to find it, the product was ultimately placed in the aisle alongside protein drinks and shakes.
When sales lagged, the Glanbia team formed three primary hypotheses:
- There was a more optimal in-store location to capture the target buyer.
- The product failed to address consumer "jobs to be done" or pain points.
- The "Mixed Berry" flavor wasn't the most desirable option.
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The Approach: Hearing Directly from Shoppers
To test these hypotheses, Glanbia turned to a modern approach: virtual video intercepts using Vista Grande's Shopper Stream™.
They created a unique shopping mission involving Costco members who had previously purchased functional beverages or protein drinks at Costco.
The Mission: Before entering the store, shoppers were shown an image of Isopure Protein Water and asked to find it. Once located, they recorded themselves answering key questions right in the aisle:
- Did you find the product in the first place you looked?
- Does the placement make sense?
- Would you purchase this product? Why or why not?
Shopper Stream™ gave the Glanbia team access to a wealth of direct-from-the-shopper video content. This enabled them to analyze the data, summarize findings, and create compelling showreels that had a significant impact both internally and externally.
The Findings: What the Shoppers Revealed
The qualitative video research confirmed two of Glanbia's hypotheses and brought the shoppers' in-store reality to life:
Finding 1: Store placement resulted in significant locational difficulties.
The data revealed an opportunity to better align placement with shopper intuition by relocating it to the beverage aisle. 62% of shoppers first visited the beverages aisle, and the qualitative videos revealed the frustration this caused. A primary theme was the challenge shoppers faced in locating the product, with inconsistent placement that caused confusion.
- "I first went to where the energy drinks were, where the water would have been... I wouldn't have thought to look at it in the section with the protein drinks because I don't think of water as being like a protein drink," noted one shopper.
- Another shared their struggle: "I looked back in the water section where, like, Celsius and sparkling ice... were. I figured since it's water, it'd be with them, like, in the back corner, not with the protein shakes."
Finding 2: High purchase intent was driven by strong core nutritional benefits.
A staggering 48% of shoppers found it difficult to locate the product in the store. However, the product itself was a winner: once shoppers finally found it, 70% stated they would purchase it. Shoppers consistently cited the high protein content (15g), low-calorie count (60 calories), and absence of artificial sweeteners as decisive motivating factors.
- "I like that the product has 15 grams of protein along with no artificial sweeteners and only 60 calories per bottle," a shopper explained. "It's a refreshing way to gain extra protein without extra sugar."
Finding 3: The Mixed Berry flavor was highly polarizing.
Flavor is a critical purchasing factor, second only to price, and shoppers were sharply divided on the product's singular flavor offering. While 62% of shoppers had a positive sentiment toward Mixed Berry, it acted as a significant deterrent for others due to personal taste preferences.
- Fans of the flavor noted: "The mixed berry is something that I like over a fruit punch, over an orange... this would be a great option."
- Detractors were just as vocal: "The flavor, that's a no-go for me. I prefer citrus flavors," and “It is a complete knock out of the park. It's a home run. I just don't like the flavor. If it just had regular strawberry or something, that would make it different."
- Others directly requested expansion: "Mixed berry isn't necessarily a flavor that I would choose, so it'd be nice if there were other options and other flavors."
The Result: Driving Strategic Alignment
Armed with this deep, visual understanding of the shopper, Glanbia was able to execute key strategic shifts confidently:
- Strategic Relocation: Because the single biggest barrier to purchase was navigation, Glanbia used the clear shopper footage to advocate placing the product in the primary functional beverage aisle to reduce friction and align expectations.
- Overdriving Awareness: With the product concept deeply validated by consumers but hindered by low general awareness, the team prioritized visibility and trial actions.
- Flavor Expansion: Based directly on shopper feedback, Glanbia added two new flavors, Strawberry Kiwi and Unflavored, to its lineup.
Key Takeaway
Glanbia’s experience demonstrates that traditional pre-launch consumer insights alone are not always enough to guarantee in-store success. By incorporating shopper insights at the point of decision, brands can understand shopper intent, barriers to purchase, and conversion drivers in real time.
Through Vista Grande’s Shopper Stream™ solution, Glanbia captured authentic, in-the-moment shopper feedback directly from the aisle. Videos recorded by shoppers themselves provided an unparalleled view into real shopping behavior, enabling the team to identify friction points, validate product strengths, and align internal teams and retail partners around clear, shopper-backed actions. The result was a stronger understanding of the path to purchase—and the ability to make more confident retail decisions.
As Gina Zilleox, Senior Director of Category Management at Glanbia Performance Nutrition, shared:
“Our experience with Vista Grande’s Shopper Stream solutions has been both insightful and impactful. From the start, the Vista Grande team took the time to deeply understand our business challenges and objectives, which gave us confidence that the insights delivered would be both relevant and actionable. Their communication, responsiveness, and service exceeded expectations—making them a true partner in our success.
Shopper Stream continues to be a standout solution for us. Capturing real-time feedback from shoppers while they’re actively in-store has helped us cut through bias and uncover insights that traditional data sources simply can’t provide. It’s opened up a new layer of understanding for our retailer partners.”
Turn Shopper Reality into Retail Results
Glanbia’s experience highlights a simple truth: what shoppers do in the aisle matters more than what they say before launch. The fastest way to understand retail performance is to observe and hear directly from shoppers at the moment decisions are made.
Vista Grande’s Shopper Stream™ captures the authentic voice and behavior of shoppers at the shelf, revealing real-time purchase intent, friction points, and growth opportunities. These shopper signals are then translated into actionable strategies to optimize placement, messaging, assortment, and visibility.
See the aisle through the shopper’s eyes.
Learn how Shopper Stream™, part of the Vista Grande Choice Architecture™ suite of solutions, helps brands optimize the shelf and win at the moment of purchase.