Visual hierarchy, attention and choice: an eye-tracking study of PGI extra virgin olive oil packaging

Packaging is a key driver of in-store purchase decisions, yet many purchases occur under conditions of low attention and high visual competition. This study tests whether redesigning the front label of an extra virgin olive oil carrying a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) affects consumers' visual attention and choice. Using a between-subjects design, 100 habitual olive-oil buyers (50 control, 50 experimental) completed a remote, webcam-based eye-tracking session comprising a simulated shelf task and an isolated-bottle viewing task. The experimental label removed a dominant vertical wordmark, enlarged the logo, denomination and PGI mark, and rebalanced the visual hierarchy. At the shelf, the redesigned label nearly doubled mean fixation time (1.14 versus 0.59 seconds; Welch p = .008, d = 0.55) and spread attention more evenly across front-of-pack elements rather than concentrating it on a single feature. Choice and pre-click latency pointed in the same direction: the redesigned label was selected about twice as often and prompted longer deliberation, although these effects rest on a small subsample and should be considered only preliminary. Findings indicate that even modest changes to visual hierarchy can measurably enhance attention to PGI cues, supporting packaging as a strategic silent salesman. These results align with attention-based models of choice. Implications for label design and geographical-indication branding are discussed.