Asymmetric color perception in the shopping aisle: some implications for merchandising

Purpose: To investigate the perception of colored items in the aisle of a virtual store and establish whether it may be affected by their position on shelves. Methods: 50 apparently healthy, right-handed university students, recruited on a voluntary basis, were included in this study. Inclusion criteria included: 1) visual acuity ≥ 20/20 in each eye; 2) normal color vision; 3) right-handedness, assessed by the Edinburgh inventory; 4) no history of ophthalmic and/or neurological disorders. Each subject was asked to look at 3 series of 18 images each on a plasma screen; the images showed a virtual modern store aisle, as it would be seen by a customer standing at one end in a central position and looking straight ahead. On both sides, the virtual aisle had 5 shelves, each containing 39 items of the same size and shape. In each image, apart from one single colored item, all other items were gray. In each series, the colored item was always of the same color, namely blue, red or green. All colors were monochromatic and had the same level of saturation. To avoid perceptive bias, all the images shown were perfectly symmetrical to the vertical axis. For each image, subjects were asked to locate as quickly as possible the colored item. Correctness and response time of answers were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA. Results: Statistical analysis showed that the coloured items were perceived significantly more accurately and rapidly when they were located on the left. Conclusion: Results support the idea of an asymmetric perception of colored items in the shopping aisle, suggesting that item location on store shelves may have important implications for merchandising.