Many of the products we test end up on a shelf, or, next to something else. Shoppers rarely judge a product in isolation. They compare it with the alternative beside it, the cheaper one below it and the familiar one they bought last time.
That’s why product benchmarking, comparing your product with competitors and category leaders, remains one of the most useful pieces of research a food, drink or household brand can commission. As we head towards 2027, we’d argue it matters more than it has for some time.
Shoppers compare more easily than ever
Prices, reviews and alternatives are a few taps away, whether someone is browsing online or standing in the aisle. The effect is that your product is constantly measured against the rest of the category. Knowing how it really stacks up, as opposed to how you hope it does, puts you in a much better position to make decisions.
Budgets keep people switching
When household budgets are under pressure, shoppers trade down, try own-label and move between brands more readily. Loyalty can’t be taken for granted. Benchmarking helps answer a straightforward question: does your product still earn its place and its price in the eyes of consumers?
Own-label has caught up
Retailer brands are no longer assumed to be the poorer option. If a supermarket’s own version is close to your product on taste or performance, it’s far better to learn that from independent research than from a buyer in a listing meeting.
Recipes and packs are always changing
Brands adjust products for many good reasons: cost, supply, sustainability, nutrition. Each change carries a small risk that something consumers valued has shifted. Comparing the new version against the old one, and against competitors, is a sensible way to check you haven’t lost your advantage along the way.
Internal opinion only goes so far
Teams who work on a product every day become very familiar with it, and often have strong views about competitors. That familiarity is valuable, but it isn’t the same as a consumer’s view. Independent benchmarking replaces assumption with evidence from the people who buy the product.
Retailers like evidence
Buyers see many similar new lines. Showing how your product performs against category leaders gives them something concrete to consider. It can also support comparative claims, provided the research is designed around the wording you want to use.
Markets shift quietly
A competitor can improve their recipe, refresh their packaging or launch something new in your space without much fanfare. Without regular comparison, it’s possible to drift behind without noticing. For that reason we see benchmarking as something to revisit periodically, not a one-off exercise.
What good benchmarking tells you
Done well, benchmarking helps you see:
· Where your product leads, and where it trails
· Which differences consumers actually notice, and which they don’t
· What to protect, what to improve and what to leave alone
· How you perform against the competitors that matter most to your category
The aim isn’t simply a ranking. It’s a clear picture of strengths and areas for improvement, so your team can decide what to do next.
Final thought
A product can be well made, well priced and well presented, and still be second choice on the shelf. Benchmarking helps you find that out early, while there’s time to act on it.
If you’d like to talk about how benchmarking could work for your product or category, you can get in touch with our team at wssintl.com.
