Predicted visual attention and cognitive demand in luxury beauty retail: an exploratory AI-based neuromarketing study

Abstract

This exploratory study examines how AI-supported neuromarketing tools can be used to predict visual attention and cognitive demand in a luxury beauty retail environment. The research was conducted in a high-end cosmetics store in Zagreb, where 11 static images, selected from 21 photographs of the store, and a 9-minute in-store video recording, edited into an 85-second simulation of the consumer journey, were analyzed using a predictive platform informed by large-scale eye tracking and EEG datasets (eye-tracking data from approximately 180,000 participants and EEG data from 27,000 participants; more than 100 billion data points in total). No shoppers were tested; all reported values are model predictions. The analysis focused on how store layout, product positioning, visual hierarchy, and branded communication elements influence predicted focus, attentional efficiency, and cognitive effort. The results reveal several consistent patterns. Brand areas that were visually separated from competing stimuli attracted stronger, more sustained predicted attention, whereas visually crowded or externally exposed zones reduced attentional efficiency. Central product placement proved particularly effective when surrounded by fewer distracting elements, suggesting that spatial clarity can support more efficient visual processing of branded and product-related stimuli. At the AOI level, Engagement and Cognitive Demand rose together ( r = 0.90). In the video simulation, Cognitive Demand remained uniformly high while Focus varied with the field of view, and the two were not related. These findings highlight the interaction between attention allocation, cognitive load, visibility conditions, and spatial organization in luxury retail communication. Overall, the study demonstrates the value of AI-supported neuromarketing for understanding how consumers process visually complex retail spaces. It contributes to communication and consumer research by clarifying how visual structure and cognitive demand shape brand visibility and decision-related processing in luxury beauty retail. The findings also offer practical guidance for improving store design, in-store communication, and experiential branding strategies by applying state-of-the-art technology for predicting consumer behavior in visually complex retail environments.