Which retail shelf sent the next order to your Shopify store?

A boutique puts your hand soap by its register. Six weeks later someone types your brand into a browser and orders the refill pouch. You see an online order. The retail buyer sees wholesale sell-through. Neither report alone tells the buyer why you want another facing for refills at the next line review.

A short Shopify survey can surface that journey. Before building it, decide which conversation you want to have with a stockist. “People saw us in stores” is a weak opening. “Several customers came online for the refill size your stores don't carry” is specific enough to investigate together.

Find the store without guessing the shopper's route

Use “Where did you first come across our products?” on the thank-you page. Give “In a store or at a market” equal billing with the online channels. If the buyer selects it, ask “Which store or market, if you remember?” A store name and city are enough. A shopper who remembers a shelf but forgets the shop can skip the follow-up.

First online order and first brand purchase can be months apart. If replenishment is the decision, run a second question in a separate survey period for the relevant product: “What brought you online for this order?” Offer “Replacing something I bought in a store,” “Wanted a size or scent I couldn't find locally,” “Sending a gift,” “Convenience,” and “Another reason.” The first question locates discovery. The second explains the trip online.

Keep a stockist ledger the sales rep can defend

Give each response a store label, location if stated, and confidence level. “Paper House, on Elm” can be a named door if your account list confirms the match. A chain name alone belongs at account level. “The market near my office” stays unresolved. Never assign a response to the nearest store using a shipping address. People buy while traveling and ship gifts elsewhere.

Suppose 60 first-time online buyers answered, 12 chose in-store discovery, eight named a particular chain, and five of those eight named the same branch. Report 8 of 60 respondents named the chain, with five verified to that door. A buyer may reasonably ask how many online orders were eligible and whether a nearby market or promotion ran at the same time. Keep those numbers with the worksheet. The guide to survey denominators explains why the distinction matters.

Give the partner a small test they can run

For the soap brand, compare the refill mentions with the store's assortment and inventory dates. If the store never carried pouches, offer a small display for one replenishment cycle. If the store carried them but ran out twice, availability deserves attention before you ask for more space. Agree on the measure in advance, such as units of refill sold per stocked week, and ask the buyer which calendar events might distort the comparison.

If the partner wants a shelf card, use a location-specific link so scans can be counted alongside mentions. Shopify's campaign tools offer shareable links and QR codes. A scan records an interaction. The survey can still hear from the customer who tried the soap and remembered the name on the train home. Shopify campaign link setup.

Use OrderSurvey's Shopify App Store listing to add the online question. If trial sizes rather than store displays are the focus, use the sample-to-full-size survey to find out what persuaded the buyer to trade up.

Frequently asked questions