Why We Built This Survey
Product discovery is one of the most valuable moments in a brand’s growth strategy, and one of the least understood. Brands invest heavily in launching new products, but far less attention goes to the moment that actually determines success, when a shopper first encounters something new, decides to trust it, and chooses to try it.
Much of the current thinking about that moment rests on assumptions that haven’t been tested against how people actually shop, that social media and influencers drive most discovery, or that newness alone is enough to win a trial. Our Harvest Group Consulting team set out to test a few common assumptions with direct data, mapping where consumers genuinely find new products, which sources they trust, what tips them from interest into a first purchase, and how all of this changes by category and by the retailer a shopper calls home.
“Successful innovation isn’t just about having the right product, it’s about launching it with the right retailer, for the right shopper, in the right way. Our hope is that these insights help our clients bring more relevant innovation to retailers and ultimately improve launch success.”
Survey at a Glance
This study is based on a quantitative survey conducted in June 2026 with 1,475 U.S. consumers.
- A broad spread across age, income, and household type
- Coverage of both food and non-food discovery behaviors
- Category-level cuts across snacks and beverages, beauty, baby, personal care, household, and more
Significant differences by generation, income, primary retailer, and category are called out throughout the report.
What’s in the Report
- The discovery landscape | A ranked view of where consumers actually find new products and how much they trust each source, from retailers and social media to friends, family, and in-store experiences.
- What drives trial | A ranked look at the motivations that move a shopper from awareness to a first purchase, from price and value to quality, recommendations, and trend-driven factors, with the surprising motivator that consistently outranked the rest.
- Discovery by retailer | How Walmart, Amazon, Target, Costco, Aldi, and others compare as discovery destinations across both food and non-food categories.
- The most adventurous shoppers | Which categories and shopper groups are most open to trying something new, and where that openness comes from.
- Recommendations for brands | Practical, category-aware guidance on where and how to connect with consumers along the discovery journey.
Who This Report is For
This research is built for brand and marketing leaders at CPG companies who are planning product launches, refining their retail media strategy, or deciding where to focus discovery efforts across categories and retailers. Whether you are launching a new item, entering a new retailer, or trying to understand why a previous launch stalled, the survey offers a data-backed view of where consumers are most open to discovering and trying something new, and how to meet them there.
Download the 2026 Innovation Discovery Survey:
This research was led by our Market Intelligence and Harvest Group Consulting teams, focused on translating consumer and shopper data into practical, retailer-specific action.
Want to discuss what these findings mean for your brand? Fill out our Contact Us form to get the conversation started.