Seeking attention: an eye tracking study of in-store merchandise displays

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the role that visual measures of attention to product and information and price display signage have on purchase intention. The authors assessed the effect of visual attention to the product, information or price sign on purchase intention, as measured by likelihood to buy. Design/methodology/approach-The authors used eye-tracking technology to collect data from Australian and US garden centre customers, who viewed eight plant displays in which the signs had been altered to show either price or supplemental information (16 images total). The authors compared the role of visual attention to price and information sign, and the role of visual attention to the product when either sign was present on likelihood to buy. Findings-Overall, providing product information on a sign without price elicited higher likelihood to buy than providing a sign with price. The authors found a positive relationship between visual attention to price on the display sign and likelihood to buy, but an inverse relationship between visual attention to information and likelihood to buy. Research limitations/implications-An understanding of the attention-capturing power of merchandise display elements, especially signs, has practical significance. The findings will assist retailers in creating more effective and efficient display signage content, for example, featuring the product information more prominently than the price. The study was conducted on a minimally packaged product, live plants, which may reduce the ability to generalize findings to other product types. Practical implications-The findings will assist retailers in creating more effective and efficient display signage content. The study used only one product category (plants) which may reduce the ability to generalize findings to other product types. Originality/value-The study is one of the first to use eye-tracking in a macro-level, holistic investigation of the attention-capturing value of display signage information and its relationship to likelihood to buy. Researchers, for the first time, now have the ability to empirically test the degree to which attention and decision-making are linked.

The effect of involvement on visual attention and product choice

“…However, until recently, less attention has been given to analyzing the relationship between eye movement and consumer attention to retail product displays (Behe et al, 2013a). Those studies investigated which display attributes had an impact on American and Australian consumers' purchase intention in a retail environment (Huddleston et al, 2013) and consumer product involvement, visual attention and purchase intention (Behe et al, 2013a) Sorensen, Clement, and Gabrielsen (2012) examined the relationships between a product name on a label, participant's level of general food knowledge, and attractiveness of the product. They found that consumers with higher general food knowledge showed longer time to first fixation (TFF) on information and shorter total visit duration (TVD), and that consumers paid attention to sign-post labels early in the search process.…”

The Role of Store Layout and Visual Merchandising in Food Retailing

“…In such circumstances it becomes both a necessity and extremely hard to differentiate itself from competition. Huddleston et al (2015) found that providing signs with product information but without product price elicits higher likelihood to buy than providing signs with price. Furthermore, the authors found a positive relationship between visual attention to price on the display sign and likelihood to buy, but an inverse relationship between visual attention to information and likelihood to buy.…”

The Role of Secondary Packaging on Brand Awareness: Analysis of 2 L Carbonated Soft Drinks in Reusable Shells Using Eye Tracking Technology

“…However, it was determined that attention to products in a display tray was less favourable to products not in a display tray . Ultimately, in recent years, eye tracking has been moving more into the realm of evaluating point‐of‐purchase marketing . Within this area, a study investigated the shelf displays of two products to assess brand consideration .…”

“…29 Ultimately, in recent years, eye tracking has been moving more into the realm of evaluating point-of-purchase marketing. 30 Within this area, a study investigated the shelf displays of two products to assess brand consideration. 5 It was found that consumers fixated on price much less often than brand, and they did not note the price if they had not yet noted the brand.…”