Abstract
It has been shown that people process assortment variety more efficiently in horizontal displays than in vertical displays, owing to human visual characteristics that favor the horizontal direction. Consequently, the number and variety of products chosen tends to increase when they are arranged horizontally. I show that this horizontal display advantage can be modulated by culture, especially writing and reading habits. When Japanese participants, who write and read text vertically as well as horizontally, chose products in horizontal and vertical displays, horizontal displays did not consistently increase the variety of products chosen. In other words, the horizontal display advantage was eliminated (Experiments 1A and 1B). However, when Japanese readers initially read horizontally, it led to a robust advantage for the horizontal display. Similarly, initial vertical reading resulted in a vertical display advantage (Experiments 2 and 3). These results suggest that horizontal displays are not always advantageous, and that optimal display direction for product choice is affected by reading habits.
Highlights
Excessive variety in product assortments can make people less likely to consume [1], the efficient perception of assortment variety can attract more consumers and increase purchase behavior [2,3]
Deng and colleagues [7] hypothesized that horizontal displays have an advantage over vertical displays for visual processing, because the human visual field and the direction of dominant eye movements are weighted in favor of the horizontal direction
The present study investigated whether directional advantage of display orientation in terms of variety of product choice was susceptible to cultural difference in reading habits; I performed controlled laboratory experiments
Summary
Excessive variety in product assortments can make people less likely to consume [1], the efficient perception of assortment variety can attract more consumers and increase purchase behavior [2,3]. When consumers efficiently categorize products via structural designs or labels, the variety and quantity of products purchased increases, as does their satisfaction with their choices [4,5]. A recent study demonstrated that the direction of the display (horizontal versus vertical product arrangement) affects consumer choice. Deng and colleagues [7] hypothesized that horizontal displays have an advantage over vertical displays for visual processing, because the human visual field and the direction of dominant eye movements are weighted in favor of the horizontal direction. They measured the variety of products purchased from horizontally or vertically arranged assortments in a shopping mall. Customers who visited the horizontal display purchased a greater variety of products than those who visited the vertical display, resulting in a greater quantity of products purchased
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