Bringing market research into virtual reality, for the first time
Engineering delivery for Rexee - shelf tests, surveys and focus groups, built for Meta Quest
2023
Ongoing engagement, since 2023
Market Research / Immersive Tech
Starting position
Starting position
- None existed
Comprehensive VR/AR platforms for market research
No prior code libraries, products or domain experts to build from anywhere in the industry
- Physical retail build-outs
Way to run shelf tests
Traditional shelf tests require outfitting a real store and flying participants to it
- 0
Reach for VR-based quantitative panels
No existing way to run quantitative surveys inside a VR headset
- None
Track record publishing on the Meta Quest Store
No prior published title to build platform credibility from
Market size
Global market research industry - panels, shelf tests, qualitative studies
Market research industry addressable via VR
Approx. budget
200,000 – 999,999 €
Budget breakdown
Engagement scale per Clutch.co project cost category. Exact figures under NDA.
Phased, ongoing engagement
Ongoing since 2023
- 1
Phase 1
Design-thinking workshops and strategic scoping with FFIND
- 2
Phase 2
Quantitative VR panel - proof of concept in 3 months
- 3
Phase 3
In-location module, Rexee branding and Meta Quest Store publishing
- 4
Phase 4
Qualitative focus groups, VR shelf-test module and admin portal
- 5
Phase 5
Ongoing platform updates and new module delivery
No comprehensive VR/AR platform for market research existed anywhere
Market research had never been comprehensively combined with virtual or augmented reality. There were no code libraries, prior products or domain experts to build from - the engineering fundamentals of VR market research had to be worked out from first principles, while FFIND needed a technical partner it could trust with a genuinely unproven category.
No existing VR/AR product or code base for market research to build on
Traditional shelf tests require physical retail build-outs and flying in participants
The platform needed to support four very different research modes - quantitative panels, in-location surveys, qualitative focus groups and shelf tests - as one system
The end product had to pass Meta's own publishing standards for the Quest Store
A modular VR platform, shipped incrementally
NULLBIT's VR engineering team worked in partnership with Takeaway Reality to build the platform module by module rather than waiting for the full vision: starting with a quantitative panel, then in-location surveys, then qualitative focus groups and VR shelf tests, with a custom admin portal tying it all together.
Quantitative VR panel
Participants anywhere in the world answer quantitative surveys using only a VR headset.
In-location & shelf-test modules
Branded VR environments for retail and trade-show settings, plus VR shelf tests that replace costly physical retail build-outs.
Qualitative focus groups
Multiplayer VR sessions with 3D models, video and image stimuli for group discussion and product testing.
AI voice recognition & hand tracking
Natural interaction for open-ended answers and object handling, tuned for the Meta Quest 3.
How market research capability changed for FFIND's clients
Market research capability moved from physical-only methods to a published, multi-module VR platform covering quantitative, in-location, qualitative and shelf-test research.
Shelf testing
Before
Physical retail build-outs, flown-in participants
After
VR shelf tests with trackable decision-making data
Far lower cost per test, plus data traditional shelf tests can't capture.
Quantitative panels
Before
Traditional panel methods only
After
Global reach via any VR headset
Respondents anywhere can participate without special equipment beyond a headset.
Delivery model
Before
One large platform vision
After
Four independent, incrementally-shipped modules
Use cases diversified instead of waiting on one big launch.
Distribution
Before
No published VR title
After
Live on the Meta Quest Store
Passed Meta's own publishing bar, opening direct distribution to VR users.
From an unproven category to an award-recognised platform
≈ 3 months
from kickoff to a validated, working VR panel
First-mover category
no existing comprehensive competitor in VR-native market research at launch
200,000 – 999,999 €
Payback period
Proof of concept validated within the first engagement quarter
Method
Delivery-time and milestone tracking against a category with no prior benchmark to compare against
Confidence
Medium - based on delivery milestones and public award recognition; commercial figures are confidential
Commercial performance of the Rexee platform belongs to FFIND and Takeaway Reality and is not disclosed here.
A published, award-recognised VR platform
Rexee is live on the Meta Quest Store and in active use by FFIND's market research clients. The figures below describe delivery milestones and industry recognition; FFIND's own commercial results are confidential.
Time to first working module
Before
N/A - no prior art existed
After
≈ 3 months
First engagement quarter
Modules shipped
Before
0
After
4 (panel, in-location, qualitative, shelf test) + admin portal
Within the first ~18 months
Industry recognition
Before
N/A
After
ESOMAR 2024 Best Exhibitor, AIXR 2024 nomination
2024
Platform distribution
Before
Not published
After
Live on the Meta Quest Store
Live
“No one had ever comprehensively combined market research with virtual reality. We needed a technical partner who could build the fundamentals from scratch, ship in modules, and still hit a bar high enough to publish on the Meta Quest Store - that's exactly what this partnership delivered.”
Leadership Team
FFIND
