Eye-tracking market research is transforming how brands test packaging design by providing real-time, objective insights into what captures consumers’ attention on the shelf—whether virtually or in-person. Shelf testing helps companies understand how shoppers visually engage with products, making it easier to optimize packaging for maximum appeal.
In this guide, our CPG market research experts explain how eye-tracking works, share best practices for designing effective shelf tests, and explore the key benefits this innovative approach brings to packaging research.
Eye tracking research is a market research method that measures where and how long people look at specific visual elements, such as product packaging, advertisements, or websites. Using specialized devices or software, it records eye movements and gaze patterns to reveal what captures attention, what’s ignored, and how consumers visually interact with different stimuli. This objective data helps businesses understand consumer behavior, optimize designs, and improve overall user experience.
This method offers invaluable insights that traditional surveys or focus groups simply can’t provide. By objectively capturing where consumers’ attention naturally falls, it reveals unconscious behaviors that often drive purchasing decisions.
Let’s dive into the key benefits eye tracking provides retail brands.
Eye tracking shows exactly where people look first and how their eyes move across packaging or ads. Think of it like a spotlight on a stage—eye tracking tells you which parts of your design get the spotlight and which get left in the shadows. This helps you understand what grabs consumers’ attention in a crowded shelf or noisy environment.
Sometimes, what people say and what they actually notice don’t match up. Eye tracking and shelf testing taps into those unconscious moments—like when you don’t realize your eyes keep drifting to a bright color or bold logo. This gives you honest, unbiased insights that traditional surveys might miss because it tracks real reactions, not just what people think they’re paying attention to.
By knowing which elements get noticed and which are overlooked, you can tweak your packaging or ads to highlight key messages, logos, or calls to action. It’s like rearranging furniture in a room to make it more inviting—small changes based on eye-tracking data can make your design flow better and encourage customers to engage more deeply.
When you design packaging or displays that match how shoppers naturally look and shop, you reduce confusion and make decision-making easier. Imagine walking into a store where everything you want is right at eye level and clearly visible—that’s what eye tracking helps create. Happier shoppers mean more sales and stronger brand loyalty.
Eye-tracking market research relies on advanced technology to precisely monitor where and how people look when viewing products, ads, or environments. Most eye trackers combine near-infrared light with high-resolution cameras to detect subtle eye movements and gaze direction without interfering with the participant’s natural behavior.
Here’s how it works: The near-infrared light illuminates the eyes, and the camera captures reflections from the cornea and pupil. By analyzing these reflections, the system can determine exactly where the eyes are focused, how long attention lingers on certain areas, and even changes in pupil size, which can indicate cognitive or emotional responses.
This technology provides real-time, objective data about visual attention that goes far beyond what people say they notice. Because it tracks natural eye movements, it helps uncover unconscious behaviors and preferences that influence purchase decisions.
There are three main types of eye-tracking technology used in market research:
This is the most common method for screen-based research. Participants simply sit in front of a device equipped with cameras and sensors that track their eye movements from a short distance—usually at a computer or tablet screen. Because it doesn’t require wearing any equipment, it’s quick, comfortable, and non-intrusive.
Remote tracking is perfect for testing digital ads, websites, or virtual shelf simulations where participants view stimuli while seated. It captures precise gaze paths, fixations, and heatmaps showing exactly what grabs attention on the screen.
In this method, participants wear lightweight glasses or headsets fitted with small cameras that track eye movements. This approach is ideal for in-person studies, such as physical shelf tests or store environments, because it allows participants to move naturally and look around as they shop.
Head-mounted trackers record exactly where shoppers look in real time as they navigate aisles, pick up products, or interact with displays. This provides rich context on natural consumer behavior, like how packaging competes for attention or which product features are most noticed during actual shopping.
Webcam-based tracking is a cost-effective and highly flexible option that uses the built-in cameras on laptops, tablets, or smartphones. This allows participants to take part in eye-tracking studies remotely from their homes or offices, broadening reach and speeding up data collection.
However, the trade-off is often lower precision and reliability, since webcams typically lack specialized sensors and may face calibration challenges. Despite this, webcam tracking can still deliver valuable insights when high-end equipment isn’t feasible, especially for quick, large-scale studies.
Let’s say a national cereal brand is launching a new high-protein, low-sugar cereal aimed at health-conscious adults. Before the product launch, they want to understand how consumers visually interact with the new cereal packaging on a retail shelf and identify opportunities to improve attention and purchase intent.
Here is an overview of what an eye tracking research study would look like for this brand.
Methodology:
Key Findings:
Actions Taken:
While eye-tracking market research is gaining popularity, it’s still a newer methodology compared to traditional approaches like mystery shopping and intercepts surveys. That’s why careful planning is key to ensuring your project runs smoothly and delivers actionable insights.
Here are a few best practices our consumer packaged goods (CPG) market research company recommends:
Eye-tracking studies often require a bit more setup and calibration than standard surveys, which makes participant show rates even more critical. Always plan to recruit more respondents than needed to account for no-shows, drop-offs, or calibration issues. This buffer helps ensure you still hit your target sample size without delays or extra recruitment.
Give participants flexibility by offering in-person and remote testing options. In-person shelf tests—especially when paired with head-mounted eye-tracking glasses—capture natural shopping behavior in a real-world setting.
But virtual shelf tests are an excellent alternative, especially in post-pandemic research environments. These 2D or 3D digital simulations recreate store environments and allow participants to complete studies from the comfort of their home without compromising data quality.
Eye-tracking tools now range from high-end glasses to cost-effective webcam-based software. While affordable options are more accessible for businesses of all sizes, it’s important to research the technology’s capabilities.
Ensure whatever system you use provides accurate tracking, user-friendly interfaces, and solid tech support. A lower price shouldn’t mean a lower-quality outcome.
To get the full picture, don’t rely on eye tracking alone. Pair it with post-experience online surveys, interviews, or facial coding tools. This helps contextualize what participants saw and why they reacted the way they did. For example, knowing a customer fixated on your logo is helpful—but understanding whether it made an emotional impact adds another layer of insight.
Through leveraging this technology, companies, and market research firms can learn about consumers’ emotions, motivations, and the level of engagement as they view the packaging. Once you’ve collected eye-tracking data, the real value lies in how you apply those insights.
Here are three examples of findings and how consumer packaged goods (CPG) or retail brands can put them into action:
1. Logo Placement Is Missed
📊 Finding: Shoppers’ eyes consistently skip over the top-right corner where the logo is placed.
✅ Action: Move the logo to the visual “hot zone,” such as the top-center or left side of the packaging, to boost brand recall and visibility on crowded shelves.
2. Product Benefits Go Unnoticed
📊 Finding: Eye-tracking shows that key product benefits (e.g., “zero sugar” or “plant-based”) are not being seen because they’re buried in fine print.
✅ Action: Increase font size, reposition claims near the focal point (like the center or near the image of the product), and use contrasting colors to draw attention.
3. Packaging Color Draws Attention—but to the Wrong Product
📊 Finding: Shoppers are visually drawn to a competitor’s brighter packaging, spending more time looking at it.
✅ Action: Update your color scheme to use bolder, more attention-grabbing hues or redesign your shelf layout to isolate your product in a way that makes it pop.
It’s safe to say eye-tracking technology in shelf tests isn’t going away any time soon and is only expected to grow. Therefore, companies and market research firms must take full advantage of eye-tracking technology to learn more about their customers and increase ROI.
Interested in conducting consumer packaged goods (CPG) market research? Drive Research can help. Contact us today.
