The first glance is decisive in determining whether a product will be examined more closely and purchased. Supermarket customers spend on average 1.2 to 1.6 seconds evaluating the individual packaging on products within product groups of interest to them.

Studies confirm that packaging stimulates impulse purchases

To examine the influence of packaging design on purchase decisions at the POS, the STI Group and the Institute for Marketing and Communications Research at the Justus-Liebig-Universität in Gießen conducted a study testing the capacity of different forms of packaging and packaging enhancements to draw attention and break down price thresholds.

The study under the leadership of Prof. Franz-Rudolf Esch found that packaging with even simple contours was chosen by the test subjects three times as often as square packaging. More heavily contoured shapes were in some cases selected six times as often.

The evaluation of products and aesthetic impression were also positively affected. The price threshold for an elegantly contoured package of pralines was some 91% higher than for plain square packages. A viewing window raised the price threshold for spirits included in the test by 31%.