Electronic Shelf Label Design
Walgreen’s was looking for a way to more easily update their shelf pricing by using Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) to replace their traditional plastic labels. The innovative new price tags were designed to permit updating of pricing over a wireless computer network, thus significantly reducing costs and improving speed associated with regular pricing updates. To evaluate their effectiveness, we pre-recruited 48 participants and asked them to complete a range of in-store tasks while wearing mobile eye tracking glasses. Follow-up IPad based interviews were conducted as participants watched a “replay” of their shopping experience on video. Our findings provided the client with a rigorous assessment of the ESLs and specific recommendations for improving their usability, particularly for seniors and those looking for sales. Recommendations were ultimately incorporated into the next generation ESLs design.
What is Flavored Water?
Coca-cola was looking for a deeper understanding of how consumers shop their flavored water (Vitamin Water, Fuze, and Smart Water) on the crowded store shelves as well as specific merchandising recommendtations to improve sales. Using mobile eye tracking glasses, the shopping experience of a selected sample of customer were recorded. Additionally a “retrospective talk aloud” procedure helped to better understand the customer behavior and motivations. Finally, customers viewed a video of their just completed shopping experience and were questioned on the spot as to the motivation. A detailed assessment of how customers search for and select products in beverage aisles and coolers using both the customers’ narrative of their experience and state-of-the-art eye tracking data. Using a database of video clips, quotes and photos, a video demonstration of the problems surrounding the current shelf location and merchandising elements was created. This, in turn, led to specific recommendations into how in-store shelf location and merchandising should be used to provide category definition and help customers find products in a crowded and confusing segment.
