Now it can be as short as six weeks. Competition among new products is intense, and eight out of ten will fail. The merchandise on these shelves holds the secrets to success and failure. Robert McMath, the center's founder and director, is the detective who strives to decipher those secrets. If they can't, they aren't likely to buy it.
Packaging has to be attractive.
And consumers need to feel a chord of familiarity with the product and its use. If they are not sure what it is or how to use it, they are not going to buy it. To make a product successful, you have to get all these elements right, including pricing. Browsing among the shelves, it's easy to spot some of the losers. The crinkled tube of gravy, for example, is distinctly unappealing.