Explicit and Implicit Factors That Determine Private Labels’ Possible Purchase: Eyetracking and EEG Research

Objective: This paper investigates the explicit and implicit factors affecting private-label (PL) products’ possible purchase decision for different retailers. Design: The study uses eyetracking and electroencephalography (EEG) to explore the differences in eye movement and brain activity for PL products. This article examines how approach motivation, measured by total fixation duration and by EEG asymmetry over the frontal hemisphere of the brain, predicts PL purchase decision. Findings: This study investigates implicit variables that can influence consumers’ willingness to PL purchase. The relatively greater left frontal activation (i.e., higher approach motivation) during the predecision period predicted an affirmative purchase decision in some cases. The eyetracking study did not reveal differences between women’s and men’s esthetics sensitivity toward the presented PL products. EEG research proved that consumers were not influenced by the PL product price. Originality/value: Literature lacks credible information on young buyers’ behavior in the context of PL products. This paper elaborates on PL perception, revealing the neural origins of the associated psychological processes.