Did you know that supermarket shoppers get lost, panic, talk and sing to themselves and eye up their fellow customers? According to a conference paper by Helen Spencer of Jigsaw Strategic Research, mobile eye tracking via ‘magic glasses' is revealing a new depth of insight into point of purchase decisions, whilst still anchoring the research in shopper reality.

Research shows that up to 75 percent of purchases decisions are made at the point of purchase. This figure differs by category and channel, but clearly the in store environment plays an important role in aiding and influencing purchase behaviour. Brands must work hard to be seen, considered and selected at the moment of purchase.

‘Shoppers are spending less and less time on each grocery shopping trip, with the average supermarket visit now lasting less than 20 minutes,' says Helen. ‘In addition, they are telling us that in some categories there is simply too much choice, and that sometimes they just can't see the difference between one product and another.

‘As a result, supermarket customers are shopping on the run and using shortcuts to get to the products they want. Tactics include a blinkered consideration set of just two or three key brands in a category, or the use of specials tags to signpost the quickest route down an aisle.'

Historically researchers have used observation, shopper intercepts and accompanied shopping trips to answer most research objectives around the purchase decision process. But according to Helen, no single research approach gets to the ideal combination of a real purchase experience and the depth of insight that clients demand.

‘Video footage is illuminating in terms of behaviour at the shelf, but we're often left with questions such as: "Why did our shoppers behave like that? What were they thinking about when they did it?"' says Helen. ‘On the other hand, accompanied shops give us a lot of detail around the whys, but shoppers are giving the experience much more rational thought and reflection than they ever would in a real purchase environment.

‘Combining methodologies, such as using observation or video footage alongside accompanied shopping trips, is helpful but until now we have still been looking for a way to connect real life behaviour with what shoppers reveal during in-depth interviews.'

Mobile eye tracking
Mobile eye tracking allows the researcher to see exactly what the shopper sees as they go about their shopping. The ‘magic glasses' contain two video cameras: one pointing outwards to record the field of vision, and one pointing at the shoppers' eye to measure exactly where it focuses. The eye positions are overlaid onto the field of vision so the researcher can pinpoint exactly what each shopper looks at and for how long.

Jigsaw, in partnership with Access Testing, recently completed a shopper research project using mobile eye tracking, in the laundry category for client Colgate Palmolive.

Regular shoppers of the category and the store were recruited to meet the researchers at the store. Researchers held an initial conversation about them and their attitude to shopping and the shoppers were set up with the ‘magic glasses' and their usual trolley or basket. After being sent off alone for a warm up task in an unrelated category, the shopper was sent off to complete the research task - making a purchase based on their current or most recent purchase needs (therefore aiming to replicate a real purchase situation).

Once the task was complete, the video footage was immediately replayed to the shopper so they could talk the researchers through the process. The researchers then carried out a detailed shelf interview, covering attitudes to pack, communication, shelf location, promotion, pricing.

‘We were able to see the real-life purchase process through the shopper's eyes and, importantly, follow it up with a discussion around the whys and the hows,' says Helen.

‘We've seen shoppers get lost, pick up the wrong product and spend minutes agonising over which special to buy. We've watched them read one pack in detail then throw another in the trolley without a second glance. We've even heard them talking and singing to themselves (the magic glasses also have a microphone) and eyeing up their fellow shoppers.

‘We can compare what they say they do with what they really do. Without the follow up interview we wouldn't know that a shopper got lost because she confused liquid detergent with fabric softener. Without the footage she probably wouldn't have admitted to this moment of panic at all.

‘Before, we might have told a client that their floor media was being walked over but not looked at by shoppers. Now there is irrefutable video evidence through the shoppers' eyes. The technology can demonstrate exactly which parts of the packs are being used for recognition, and the extent to which other on-pack information is read.

‘Combining the footage with the interview gives us a number of insights, such as evidence of how shoppers find the aisle, the category, the product and the decisions they make along the way. We can assess how quickly the product needs to make an impression on the shelf, where brands should be positioned, if the pack is achieving standout versus the competition, the impact of point of purchase materials and much more,' says Helen.

‘Colgate Palmolive has used shopper decision hierarchies before, but has never seen them "in action". It has really helped the client understand what combination of factors catch a shopper's eye and how they navigate through the aisle.

‘This research was part of a wider usage and attitude (U&A) study, so Colgate Palmolive is still analysing the findings and deciding what action to take. Using the footage will help the organisation talk to retailers about how shoppers use the category and may lead to some changes in shelf layout and communication. It's also given the company some insight into how its packs are used on shelf.'

‘Eye-tracking gives researchers a valuable extra tool to untangle the complexity of the purchase process. It gives us a close link between actual behaviour and its related attitudes and provides a measure of exactly what shoppers look at in the store. On its own it's a clever piece of technology. Combined with the depth of a qualitative interview, it becomes a compelling way to bring the shopper journey to life.'

By Jesse Blackadder, editor Research News, based on the conference paper ‘Through the shopper's eyes' by Helen Spencer, Jigsaw Strategic Research. Access Testing is an independent technology company.

09-Feb-10 04:36 PM     URL: http://www.mrsa.com.au/index.cfm?a=detail&id=2341&eid=128