Tussle — Focus Groups & Market Insight

About the Client

Tussle is an Australian sexual wellness brand with a loyal DTC customer base and strong product credibility. After more than five years of online growth, the brand was preparing to enter major bricks-and-mortar retail and needed a deeper understanding of broader consumer behaviour to support its next phase of expansion.

The Challenge

While Tussle had built strong engagement online, moving into physical retail surfaced key questions:

• Limited insight into how non-DTC consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase intimate care products
• Uncertainty around packaging, messaging, and shelf communication in a retail environment
• The need to strengthen retail and investor storytelling with data-backed insights
• A requirement for consumer-validated direction before committing to large-scale retail expansion

Tussle needed real consumer insight, not assumptions.

GLOWPATH’s Role

GLOWPATH was engaged to lead a consumer-led research program designed to uncover meaningful insights and translate them into actionable strategy for retail readiness, brand positioning, and future growth.

Strategy Overview

GLOWPATH developed an insight-driven approach centred on intimacy, trust, and depth:

1. Design and facilitation of intimate, workshop-style consumer focus groups
2. Exploration of purchase triggers, barriers, and category perceptions
3. Evaluation of current packaging, messaging, and product concepts
4. Translation of insights into strategic recommendations across retail, brand, and product

This ensured decisions were grounded in real consumer behaviour.

Execution Details

GLOWPATH executed a series of structured, qualitative research sessions, including:

• Five in-depth focus groups across Sydney and Melbourne
• Participation from 60 consumers spanning a broad demographic range
• Exploration of buying habits, retail environments, and category language
• Feedback on current packaging, shelf presence, and future product ideas
• Analysis of advertising, education, and communication preferences

Insights were synthesised into clear, practical outputs that could be actioned immediately.

Results & Impact

• Delivered deep, consumer-validated insight to inform retail readiness decisions
• Identified clear purchase drivers and barriers within the sexual wellness category
• Informed retail pitch decks and investor conversations with credible consumer data
• Shaped packaging, product innovation, and messaging strategy
• Provided a clear strategic foundation for future bricks-and-mortar expansion

Tussle remains a valued monthly retainer client, working with GLOWPATH to embed learnings, refine strategy, and maintain momentum.

Key Takeaway

Tussle’s work with GLOWPATH highlights the importance of grounding retail expansion in real consumer understanding. By creating a safe, insightful space for honest conversation, GLOWPATH helped Tussle move forward with clarity, confidence, and a strategy shaped by the people it exists to serve.