Decisive visual saliency and consumers׳ in-store decisions

• The study shows how placement and use of signage at the POP affect visual attention and final choice.
• Target products get more visual attention (total gaze time) when being placed next to each other.
• The effect depends on the strength of the national brand vs. the private label brand.
• People gaze longer at target product when signage is present.
• Real-store experiments found placement next to each other lifts sales of national brand and private label brand.

This paper focuses on consumers׳ in-store visual tactics and decision-making. It has been argued that many consumers shop by routine or by simple rules and justification techniques when they purchase daily commodities. It has also been argued that they make a majority of decisions in the shop, and that they are affected by the visual stimuli in the store. The objective for this paper is to investigate the visual saliency from two factors: 1) in-store signage and 2) placement of products. This is done by a triangulation method where we utilize data from an eye-track study and sales data from grocery stores. The first study takes place in laboratory settings with a simulated purchase situation, and the second research design builds on manipulated in-store settings and data from real purchases. We found optimal placement of two comparable goods (branded good and private label) to increase visual attention and sale for both goods. The use of signage increases visual attention and sale as well, yet only for the product that the label addressed, implying a cannibalization effect. The limitation of the study and implications for retail managers and for brand owners are discussed.