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.