We gathered insights from three of our most experienced researchers to show you the kinds of insights that eye tracking research can give companies that are expanding into international markets. Between them, these guys have done research in over 20 countries. They gave us the inside scoop on three shopper categories in seven countries. In this three part series, we talk about the differences between computer shoppers, beauty care consumers, and grocery store patrons, and our experience doing research in each category with consumers around the globe. Before reading below, make sure you check out our last post on differences in global consumer behavior at beauty stores in China and the U.S.

Grocery Stores in Japan, Korea, Germany, and the U.S.

Eye Faster VP and co-founder Scott McEachen has performed numerous eye-tracking studies in grocery and drug stores around the world. He says that the layout across cultures is very similar—produce on the side, long aisles parallel to the entrance, registers up front, etc. “You could walk into a grocery store in most countries and be able to find the kind of product you’re looking for fairly easily, whether or not you speak the language.” The differences lie mostly in how the products are arranged on the shelf and how locals interact with them.

In Japan, for example, each product only has one “facing,” so many more products can fit on a shelf, but looking at the shelf is overstimulating, and eye tracking shows that people start skipping over products because they can’t take it all in.

Many U.S. stores, in contrast, will have two or three facings of one product or sometimes an entire shelf, so fewer products can be sold, but the shelf is easier to comprehend. This strategy has its downside, though, because if a block of products is too big, the eye will spot one and then pass over the rest.

The ability of the eye to take in information is fairly consistent across cultures, but how people look at grocery shelves can be quite different. “In the U.S., we read a shelf like a book, starting at the top left and moving right and down,” notes Scott. “The most-noticed items are at or a bit below eye level.” Koreans, in contrast, focus on the lowest shelves.

 

How consumers pick products is different, too. One comparative study that Scott performed of oral-care shoppers in Korea and Germany found differences in how packaging was perceived. Germans were efficient about their choice, picking a toothpaste based on the front of the label without stopping to examine the rest of the box. Koreans were looking for a good deal—most dental products are sold in bundles, so people may buy five toothbrushes at once.

Scott says these cultural differences can have a big impact on how a product performs. “Don’t assume that the same packaging, shelf space, and number of facings that works for you in the U.S. will do well in other countries,” he advises.

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Thinking about expanding into the global marketplace? Get in touch with us to learn more about what you need to know before you go global and how to successfully connect with shoppers in other countries.

Tags: Consumer BehaviorDecision MakingEye TrackingGlobal RetailingRetailShopper Research