How-to Spot Unique Products While Mystery Shopping

What makes a product unique? This seems like a simple enough question. Walking into a store there are thousands of products all different from one another. In clothing stores, for example, there’s shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, etc… All of these items also come in a variety of colors, and styles that also help signify that those products are different from one another. But, there are some small differences that make some unique products difficult to spot.

In many Missions, and most commonly seen in the “Show me the Honey!” Mission you’re asked to take photos of unique items in a store. But, how can you be sure that the items you’re taking photos of are unique from other products? We’ve created a guide to help you while completing Mobee Missions.

Not all of these scenarios are currently being used in Mobee Missions. These are only example scenarios of products and store types that may be included in a Mission someday. So, with that, let’s begin:

Grocery

Grocery stores may have one of the largest varieties of products and items available in any one location. Because of that, defining what exactly makes a product unique can be tricky. The best example we can use is the “Show me the Honey!” Mission that has been available in Mobee app recently.

In a grocery store Mission, you may be asked to take photos of each unique honey product in that store. Sounds simple, right? To make honey, or other grocery store products unique there are several factors to consider.

Brand: While each brand is making and selling the same product they are all unique from one another because of that brand name.
Flavors: With honey, you may find the same brand making lemon flavored honey, lavender honey, etc. While the brand is the same the products become unique due to the flavor differences. You’ll also want to see if one product is vegan or gluten-free while another isn’t.
Size: The same product made by the same brand with the same flavor may still be unique if one is 16 mL and the other is 24 mL or if one box has 15 cookies while another has 30, etc. Even though the product, brand, and flavor are the same, the size of the product makes it unique.

Clothing

What if you’re at a clothing store? While some of the same practices can be used in both a grocery and clothing store there is some difference as the nature of the products differs. With a large variety of items in stores, finding uniquities can be both a challenge and a breeze.

So, what should you look for in clothing stores if asked to photograph each unique pair of jeans, for example, in the store?

Brand: As we mentioned before, finding differing brands should always be your first stop. Some clothing stores only carry clothes made for their brand, while others sell a variety of brands. Finding differing brands is the fastest way to begin looking for unique products.
Color/design: The easiest difference to spot is typically color. Differing colors will stick out like a sore thumb when you’re walking around the store. White jeans vs. Blue jeans, for example. On top of color, there are also design features such as embroidery, graphic t-shirts with different images or sayings, etc…
Size and length: All clothes come in a variety of sizes to fit a variety of people. A pair of jeans that is listed as a size 6 is unique from the same pair in a size 8. This can be said about any sizes whether the products are size S vs M or 30W vs. 34W, etc… they are considered unique products. Length of clothing also differentiates it. Petite clothes are unique from regular even if it’s the exact same product.
Style: Back to our example, jeans. Jeans come in a variety of styles like skinny, cropped, “jeggings”, bellbottoms, wide leg, straight leg, maternity, etc… Each style is unique from one another.

Electronics

Electronics stores are next on our list for this blog. Just like with the other stores they too have unique products. Some characteristics are easy to spot, while others require a little more investigation.

To look further into an electronics store, we’ll be focusing on cameras and laptops. What do you need to look for to see if these products are unique?

Brand: As always, start by looking at the brand. The brand is typically the first and easiest difference to spot right off the bat.
Color: When it comes to cameras, laptops, televisions, etc… there are a variety of colors for these products. laptops, for example, comes in a variety of colors like rose gold, silver, black, or gray. Adding those colors makes that product unique even if the internal capabilities are the same.
Size: Typically, a noticeable difference, the size of an electronic will make it unique. A 13″ and 15″ laptop are not the same. A Polaroid Instax mini camera and a Polaroid Instax wide camera are not the same. While the size may be the only difference (which is typically not the case when it comes to electronics), it is still a difference between the products.
Style: Much like clothing, electronics have many different styles and models associated with different products. Televisions, for example, can be regular, HD, flatscreen, free-standing, etc. Looking for different styles and models of products will help you differentiate between products that are similar and products that are the same.
Memory/hardware: Many times, you can get the same style, and size of a product but it will have different hardware inside. It may have options with different levels of memory space, a different processor, different levels of storage, etc…

Closing Thoughts

You’ve made it through our tips and tricks for finding unique products. While there is a lot to think about when looking for unique items, we have a quick tip that may make that process faster and easier. All unique products will have a different SKU number. When in doubt, comparing the SKU numbers of two products you’re not sure are the same or unique can help you make that decision and help make sure that Mission is approved.

Again, there aren’t currently any Missions asking for you to take photos of every unique pair of jeans or camera in a store, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future. We want to help you with the current Mission (Show me the Honey!) and give you helpful hints in case another Mission does pop up in the future. Knowing what makes a product unique can also help you make sure you get the exact products you’re looking for while shopping too.

Do you want to make money from your phone? Mobee pays you in rewards to shop at your favorite stores and retailers. Check us out on our website, the iTunes Store and the Google Play store today!