Food Innovation Research Lab
Enhancing our understanding of consumers and food.
The Longo’s Food Retail Lab and the Schneider’s Research Lab are home to food retail research that enhances our understanding of consumer decision-making, consumption and food advertising. These labs were made possible through generous gifts from Longo Brothers Fruit Market Inc. and Schneider Foods.
Longo’s Food Retail Lab
Resembling an actual grocery store with fully stocked shelves and check-out counter, the Longo’s Food Retail Lab utilizes eye-tracking equipment and cameras to gauge buyer behaviour patterns as consumers shop. Researchers will explore a number of areas including how consumers value and learn about different foods, and their decision making when purchasing and consuming foods.
A research participant wears eye-tracking glasses as he chooses grocery items in the Longo's Food Retail Lab.
The Longo's Food Retail Lab was designed to resemble an actual Longo's grocery store.
A researcher watches what the participant sees using a tablet that streams real-time footage from the glasses.
Research priorities
The Longo’s Food Retail Lab focuses on four key research priorities:
- Price processing: Which prices consumers evaluate when making a product decision, specifically if they consider brands, package sizes, “regular” prices and per unit prices.
- Effect of labelling on product choice: If consumers show preference towards certain product labels, such as GMO free products and the possible effects of certain GMO label characteristics.
- Customer processing of packaging information: What information consumers use, how much they read and if it differs by product.
- Impact of nutrition labelling: Do consumers look at nutritional labelling on restaurant menus or products on shelves, and if so, does it influence consumer choice.
Contact us:
Mark Holmes
Interim Director, School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management & Associate Professor
Email: @mholme07@uoguelph.ca
The Schneider’s Research Lab
The Schneider’s Research Lab is equipped with computer monitors that allow researchers to gauge participant reactions to advertising, complete surveys and other analyses. The Lab can also facilitate research in PJs Restaurant to explore customer behaviours, eating patterns, menu design and many other important foodservice topics.
Research objectives that could be investigated by these lab spaces include:
- How consumers value different foods
- How consumers learn about different foods
- Consumer decision-making processes for purchasing and consuming foods