Heuristics and resource depletion: eye-tracking customers’ in situ gaze behavior in the field

Abstract

Heuristics and resource depletion:Eye-tracking customers' in situ gaze behavior in the field AbstractWhen we visit a retail outlet, we go there to complete some type of shopping goal.These goals may be very specific and precisely planned prior to entering the store, or more abstract, and something we think of on the spur of the moment. The stores may display tens of thousands of different products, making it difficult to achieve the shopping goal in a rational manner. As a result, we use different types of heuristics to meet our shopping goals. In this study, we investigate how a customer's visual attention is influenced by their shopping goal, based on the results of three field experiments in three different contexts  a gas station, a sports store, and a grocery store. Firstly we establish that differences do exist in viewing behavior based on whether shopping goals are planned or unplanned. A more complex and unplanned shopping goal leads to increased observations of in-store stimulus. We then study whether or not the complexity of the first shopping goal also influences the viewing behavior of the next shopping goal, independently of the characteristics of the second goal. The findings confirm that complex decision heuristics deplete cognitive recourse. This finding results in diminished visual attention during subsequent choices. In turn, this has implications for a customer's shopping behavior.

Does the presence of a mannequin head change shopping behavior?

“…Furthermore, this research contributes to the literature stream devoted to visual attention in retailing by highlighting the use of eyetracking methodology to explore how consumers visually process products displayed on mannequins as opposed to in ads, on packages, or on displays, as has been studied in grocery contexts (e.g., Atalay et al, 2012;Hendrickson & Ailawadi, 2014;Wästlund et al, 2015).…”

“…Capturing the visual attention of consumers is vital for retailing and visual merchandising; recent research often uses eye-tracking methods to test this capture (e.g., Atalay, Bodur, & Rasolofoarison, 2012;Hendrickson & Ailawadi, 2014;Wästlund, Otterbring, Gustafsson, & Shams, 2015). Eye-tracking technology enables researchers to quantify the visual attention that consumers direct at stimuli and provides insights into their information processing and decision-making processes (Wedel & Pieters, 2008).…”

Fresh perspectives on customer experience

“…Sequence analysis, for example, breaks down broad patterns of overall processes into sequences of activities or events that lead to specific outcomes. New technology, such as eye-tracking or built in trackers, enables researchers to correctly capture and interpret these sequences (Wästlund et al, 2015). Such techniques could be of great value to researchers unravelling the depth and complexity of customer experiences, the multiplicity, breadth and timing of interactions with multiple parties in the customer journey, and in tracking detailed touch points over time.…”

Visual engagement with urban street edges: insights using mobile eye-tracking

“…The experiential impact of certain spatial attributes, within a similar context to some retail-focused outdoor urban streets, has therefore successfully been explored using this technique. Task-related distribution of visual engagement, spanning planned and unplanned shopping, has also been studied across a range of store situations (Wastlund et al 2015), highlighting the capabilities of the method for exploring the impact of differing social activities on gaze distribution. However, while these studies have provided valuable insights and highlighted the effectiveness of mobile eyetracking, they have been undertaken within indoor, highly controlled situations disconnected from the inherent variability of real-world street settings.…”