Eye-Tracking Store & Shopping
Optimize the shopper journey and shelf placement through the analysis of visual behavior in real store conditions.
The client issue
A major retail chain wants to optimize the layout of its shelves beauty and understand why certain high-margin products remain invisible despite their strategic placement.
The chain invests heavily in POS displays and merchandising but has objective data about what shoppers actually look at on the shelf.
The identified challenges
- Understand the shoppers' real visual journey
- Identify the shelf's "blind" spots
- Measure the effectiveness of POS displays and facings
- Optimize merchandising ROI
Mobile eye-tracking in real conditions
Shopper recruitment
Regular customers of the tested stores, recruited at the entrance.
Recruitment criteria
- Regular buyers in the beauty category
- Mixed men/women depending on the category
- Average basket > €50
- Purchase frequency > 2x/month
Field Protocol
Light, non-intrusive equipment for natural behavior.
Baseline
Reference measurements at rest to establish individual baseline levels
Equipment
Light eye-tracking glasses, quick calibration (30 sec)
Shopping mission
Free browsing in the target aisle with the usual shopping list
Passive observation
Behavior recording without intervention
Post-purchase debrief
Short interview about choices and hesitations
Complete visual mapping
Heat Maps & Gaze Plots
Precise mapping of viewed areas, with intensity and temporal sequence of gaze.
Fixation time
Attention duration on each product, zone, or POS display.
Visual Conversion Rate
Ratio between viewed products and purchased products.
Typical journey
Identification of recurring navigation patterns.
Conversational Avatar
AI-guided interview to gather stated perceptions.
ROI-driven merchandising recommendations
Identified blind spot
CriticalThe premium facing positioned at the top right is seen by only 12% of shoppers. Recommendation: reposition it at eye level.
Ineffective POS display
IdentifiedThe promotional POS display catches the eye but diverts attention from the adjacent premium offer. Average time on POS display: 2.3s vs 0.4s on the product.
Optimized journey
+18%Reorganization of the entry-to-aisle flow: 18% increase in products seen per shopper.
Merchandising ROI
x4.2Return on investment for the study in 3 months thanks to the optimizations implemented.
Comparison by store format
Hypermarket
Supermarket
Convenience store
Merchandising action plan
Reposition the premium facing
From the upper-right area to the central area at eye level
Reduce the size of the promotional POS display
40% reduction to avoid the "visual tunnel" effect
Reverse the direction of circulation
Enter from the left instead of the right (natural flow)
Add visual "anchor points"
Color codes to guide the eye toward new products
Do you want to optimize your shelf layouts?
Let's measure your shoppers' real behavior together.