Inside-outside: Using eye-tracking to investigate search-choice processes in the retail environment

In the retail environment, attention is requisite to purchase, attention being the collection and assessment of stimuli from our senses (visual stimuli are generally the most important) for cognitive processing according to the needs of the moment. Visual attention is easily and affordably measured today using eye tracking technology. This paper reviews the “state of play” of the use of eye tracking technology as a research tool in retail and retail marketing. The review is timely as during the last decade many non-proprietary eye tracking studies have been published in marketing, consumer behavior, and retail journals, and additional work is expected as the technology gains adoption in consumer research. We reviewed studies that contributed to an understanding of consumer behavior in the gold standard of consumer interface: the retail store. The goal of the paper is to provide a synthesis of retail-focused eye tracking study findings. We present the managerial and theoretical significance of the research as well as an agenda that considers the use of eye tracking from pre-shopping through point of sale.