Predictive model of attention in viewing selected grocery products

There are many factors that are competing for customer\u27s attention inside a grocery store. With so many products to choose from it is important for marketers to understand how consumers\u27 attention can be maximized. There is little knowledge available on the specific type and amount of product information (e.g. visual and/or verbal information) that is appropriate for the package stimulus in order to maximize its communication effectiveness at point of purchase. Moreover, there are no studies that combine packaging design, number of facings and shelf location and their effect to attention. This study considered the effect of shelf position, number of facings of a product, type of image, information content, color, and packing type to the number of eye fixation and duration of fixation on a grocery shelf containing junk foods. Eye tracking equipment was used to gather fixation data. Participants in the study consisted of 60 students aged 17-21 years old. The results of the study verified that consumer attention decreases as the products\u27 vertical position deviates from the eye-level. It also supports the findings that number of facing is not significant in attracting attention and that consumer attention is higher when images are unusual or out of context. It could also be concluded that shelf position is more significant than packaging, with vertical shelf position being the most significant of all factors followed by the horizontal shelf position. © 2011 De La Salle University, Philippines