How the Layout of a Price Label Influences Unit Price Visual Attention and Choice During Grocery Shopping

Abstract

Unit pricing (i.e. displaying prices per unit volume or weight) is deemed helpful for grocery shoppers. Many countries mandate that supermarkets provide unit prices. Consumer usage of unit price information however has been suboptimal. Consumer advocates attribute this to the poor and inconsistent presentation of the unit price information on price labels. The present research tested how layout of the unit price information, in particular (1) font size, signposting, colour coding and position; and (2) consistency of the format across categories, affects attention to unit price when consumers shop for supermarket items. Eye-movements and purchase decisions observed during a natural but experimentally designed shopping task reveal how the prominence and consistency of the layout direct visual attention to the unit price and how this, in turn, influences purchase decisions. Findings indicate that displaying unit prices in a prominent manner leads consumers to better notice and longer attend to unit prices, which in turn relates to an increased incidence of choosing lower unit priced products. Conversely, inconsistency in display format resulted in a reduced incidence of choosing such products.