Mapping the Digital-to-Kitchen Journey with HelloFresh

participants

2-phase

programme

sign-up sessions

participants

2-phase

programme

sign-up sessions

The challenge

Connecting digital onboarding to the reality of the dinner table

For habit-building brands like HelloFresh and Green Chef, long-term retention depends on a seamless transition from a digital app to a physical kitchen. We designed a two-phase research programme engaging 92 participants across their core segments to capture feedback at every critical touchpoint.

Industry

Food, subscription

Solution

Customer experience

Format

Two-phase study

Participants

92 across core segments

Methods

Screen recordings, longitudinal ethnography

The approach

Capturing the moments of truth through digital ethnography

Phase 1: Digital experience

We used screen recordings and text discussions to observe 47 prospective customers navigating the sign-up and ordering process, identifying exactly where digital friction threatened the journey.

Phase 2: Physical experience

We transitioned participants into a longitudinal ethnographic study in which they kept digital diaries of their real-world cooking routines.

In-situ feedback

Participants documented unboxing moments, the step-by-step cooking process, and the eating experience, sharing video and image responses in real time.

The result

A satisfaction blueprint for future innovation

This approach revealed exactly where the journey delighted customers and where practical friction emerged. By capturing expectations, motivations, and barriers in one place, we provided HelloFresh with fresh insight into every stage of the customer journey, informing improvements to both their UX and CX strategies to drive long-term satisfaction.