USE OF EYE-TRACKING TO MORE EFFECTIVELY MERCHANDISE PLANTSBy Allison Nicole JonesMaking the process of shopping easier or more enjoyable may bring positive benefits to both the shopper and the retailer. We used an eye-tracking device to investigate and execute two studies related to consumers' use of visual cues (signs) in retail garden center displays. In the first study we focused on informational signs that described that the plants were grown using water conservation practices and separate survey questions about their water conservation practices. From this study we found that attention to the sign communicating water conservation production practices was linked to participants' home water conservation practices. Participants who were more likely to conserve water on their plants at home were also more likely to purchase plants that were grown under water saving practices than those participants that were not as likely to conserve water. Participants from Florida seemed to be more sensitive to water conservation signage than participants from non-drought areas such as Michigan and Indiana. The second study focused on consumers viewing of informational signs that described vegetable and herb transplants grown under sustainable production practices. From this study we were able to show differences in participants' weekly purchases of organic products and its relationship to first fixation duration (FFD) on the informational sign. Participants who spent a larger amount of their weekly budget on organic products had a longer FFD on the sign. Differences between participants who had children under the age of 18 in their household compared to participants who had no children in their household were also found.
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