Germany: Virtual Supermarket to be shown at International Green Week

Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) showcases its virtual supermarket at the International Green Week in Berlin, the world's biggest fair for food, agriculture and horticulture. During this exhibition, from January 18 to 27, Wageningen UR will also organise a seminar on Healthy Food Choices. An example of promoting healthy food choices, which will be discussed during the seminar, is the project Fruit4Sport; an initiative of Dutch sports clubs to grow fruit on the side of the sports grounds and sell that fruit in the canteens.

In the virtual supermarket, developed by Wageningen UR, the shopping behaviour of consumers can be studied. People can "shop" in a virtual supermarket consisting of three large plasma screens. Everything is this supermarket can be altered, from the shelf layout to the products on offer. Wageningen UR uses this tool to study the influences of the supermarket setup on consumers’ choices for healthier and more sustainably produced food. The virtual supermarket could also enable companies to test how consumers respond to a new, not yet existing product, for example.

Eye-tracking is used to record how consumers react to advertisements, packaging, logos, prices, etc. In addition, the walking routes of consumers through the store are observed, as well as the time they take to make choices.
Seminar Healthy Food Choices

The seminar, organised by Wageningen UR on January 21, aims to answer the question how industry, science and government can work together to stimulate people to make healthier food choices. Speakers at this seminar are Onne Franse, Programme Director Healthy Living & Climate Action at Royal Ahold (industry), Kees de Graaf, Professor of Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour at Wageningen University (science) and Nevin Özütok, as alderman for the Amsterdam East district involved in the Fruit4Sport project (government). Seminar goers can join the discussion, which will be led by Wouter Verkerke of Wageningen UR.

source: Wageningen UR.