QL-2026-041 · PRICING STUDY● FINAL
Should the oat version launch at $5.99 or $6.99?
METHOD12 moderated depth interviews
AUDIENCEUS grocery shoppers, oat milk in last 30 days
TIMELINEbriefed Mon · delivered Fri
RECOMMENDATION
Launch at $5.99. Nine of twelve switch on price alone; the organic claim moved no one. Revisit $6.99 only if the certification lands on-pack.
What would change our mind: if your retail partner commits to endcap placement, price sensitivity drops in a visibility-led trial. Retest before locking the lower price.
FINDINGS
1Shoppers price-check oat milk to the cent
Ten of twelve named the exact price of their current brand unprompted. This category has no price fog to hide in; a $1 premium is visible and gets interrogated.
"I know exactly what oat milk costs at three stores. $6.99 reads as a brand tax."
R2 · 34 · shops 2×/week
2"Organic" doesn’t justify the premium, yet
Every respondent noticed the organic claim; none would pay $1 more for it without certification they recognize. The claim as worded reads as marketing, not proof.
"Everything says organic now. Show me the seal or it’s just a word."
R6 · 41 · buys organic dairy
3$5.99 triggers switching, not just trial
At $5.99, nine respondents said they’d replace their current brand outright, matching it to their reference price. At $6.99 the same nine framed it as an occasional treat, which caps repeat volume.
"$6.99 feels steep unless it’s certified. At $5.99 I’d switch without thinking."
R4 · 29 · current brand: store label
PER-INTERVIEW SUMMARIES · ANONYMIZED
R1
38 · suburban family of four41 min
Anchored on warehouse-club pricing; $6.99 ruled out immediately. Would trial at $5.99 if shelf-adjacent to current brand.
SWITCHES AT $5.99
R2
34 · urban · shops 2×/week38 min
Price-checks across three stores. Called $6.99 a brand tax. Organic claim dismissed without certification.
SWITCHES AT $5.99
R7
31 · price checker44 min
Most price-sensitive of the group. $5.99 matches reference price exactly; described switching as automatic.
SWITCHES AT $5.99
R6
41 · organic-dairy household36 min
Only respondent open to $6.99, conditional on a recognized certification seal on-pack. Claim alone insufficient.
CONDITIONAL AT $6.99
Full transcripts available on request. Respondent identities are never shared; profiles are anonymized before synthesis.
SESSION RECORDINGS · ANONYMIZED
▶
R2 · VIDEO · 38:12
▶
R7 · VIDEO · 44:05
Faces and voices are shared only with respondent consent.
METHOD NOTE
Respondents recruited from our screened panel; 41 candidates screened, 12 matched on category behavior (oat milk purchase in last 30 days, primary household shopper). Interviews moderated over video, 35–45 minutes, semi-structured guide with price-laddering exercise. Every response passed Litmus check fraud and quality screening. Synthesis by the moderating researcher, reviewed by a second researcher before delivery.
