Case Study: ~9,000 Samples Across 6 NYC-Area Grocery Stores

The Challenge

Six stores, one week, photo proof at every stand.

The European Union hired Bouman Exhibition to build U.S. demand for European produce. Their Peach the Great campaign had to put canned peach dices in shoppers’ hands at six stores in Manhattan, Whitestone (Queens) and Port Washington (Long Island) in the same week, with photo documentation of shopper engagement required at every stand.

OpalOps demo specialist talking with a shopper at a Peach the Great sampling stand — Demo specialist and shopper at the stand

What OpalOps Did

Trained, licensed, and on site from setup to breakdown.

Staffed all 6 stores for 5 days with 7 demo specialists, including one mid-program staff swap.

Ran a talking-points training for consistent messaging, then handled setup at most sites and breakdown after each 5-hour shift.

Placed only staff with food-handler’s licenses, so every stand met health-code requirements.

Captured permission-based photos of shoppers at the stands, as the client required.

Results

What the client and shoppers saw.

Shoppers noticed the label

Shoppers noticed and appreciated that the peaches contain no high-fructose corn syrup.

Two locations extended

The client extended two locations by an extra day.

A bigger follow-up

Bouman Exhibition shared interest in a follow-up campaign with 30 staff, up from 7.

From the Floor

Real stands, real crew.

OpalOps demo specialist standing at a Peach the Great sampling stand — Demo specialist at the stand

OpalOps demo specialist handing a sample cup to a shopper at the stand — Serving samples

The Hardest Part

Honoring shoppers’ wishes while delivering what the client required.

The client required photo documentation, but some shoppers were nervous about being photographed and others declined outright. Our team respected those wishes every time, photographing only with permission, and still delivered the documentation the client needed.

OpalOps team member holding up a sample at the stand while a shopper who declined the photo faces away — When a shopper declined the photo, we respected it.

OpalOps team member photographed with a shopper who gave permission — Photographed with permission

Need promo or demo staff in NYC/NJ?

Tell us about your campaign and we’ll send a quote.

Request Sampling Staff → Call (844) 478-1693