Using Eye Tracking to Identify Optimal Product Placement

Isn’t it amazing how many types of shampoo you find in the hair care aisle? There’s a shampoo out there for everyone; if your hair is dry, thin, oily, blonde or frizzy there is guaranteed to be a product specially designed to moisturize, thicken, brighten, clarify or straighten just for you. But realistically, doesn’t shampoo just clean your hair and make it smell better than body oil? Yes, but the shampoo industry is a highly competitive one, leaving shampoo companies fighting for consumers’ attention. Since 80% of purchase decisions are made at the Point of Purchase (POP), that is, at the moment the consumer is standing in the aisle, products need to stand out among the rest if they’re going to have a shot at making it into the basket. A product’s appeal is a combination of factors, including shelf placement and packaging, and because only 50% of brands are actually seen by the consumer, it is important to have the optimal combination. A study conducted at the University of Indonesia used eye tracking to evaluate which region of a retail shampoo display receives the most visual attention, as well as which packaging attributes are preferred by consumers, to offer suggestions for strategic product placement and package design.

A shopper’s attention on a product is directly related to the likelihood of purchase. In this study, the shoppers’ attention was measured as the number of eye fixations on a region of the retail shelf. The tests were conducted using a visual display of a shampoo aisle on an LCD monitor with eye tracking software and a small video camera to track eye movement. The subjects that participated in the study were those deemed most likely to make shampoo purchase decisions—female housewives age 20-30. In addition to collecting eye tracking data to evaluate product placement, questionnaires were given to evaluate the elements of product packaging that appealed to the subjects when selecting a product for purchase.

The results showed that out of the four shelves displayed on the screen, the second and third shelves from the top received the highest number of fixations, and more specifically, the region in the center. This is directly related to the line of sight; shoppers are likely to search where it is easiest for them to look. The highest and lowest shelves can be inconvenient to search and, therefore, receive less visual attention. When it comes to packaging, the shape, function, and color have the greatest effect on consumer attention, with shape and color weighted twice as high as other attributes for attracting attention, consideration, and choice. So, the next time you are shopping for shampoo, pay attention to what it is that makes you choose the bottle you do. Was it because it was right at eye level and had a curvy, purple bottle and smelled like Lavender Rain, or did you choose it because all you really needed was something to clean your hair?

Eye-Tracking Research Methodology For The Planograms Of Supermarket Shelf That Draw Shopper’s Visual Attention: Case Study In Shampoo Packaging

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