``You look at it, but will you choose it'': Is there a link between the foods consumers look at and what they ultimately choose in a virtual supermarket?

Eye-tracking studies have shown a link between gaze allocation and consumer food choices among food products from the same category. However, in daily life, consumers usually make food choices in more complex environments, with many options. Our study explores the link between gaze behavior and food choices in a virtual supermarket, reproducing a realistic choice situation. Participants (n = 99) performed a food-choice task, based on four scenarios evoking different motivations (health, environment, hedonic, and everyday). Participant gaze behavior was measured throughout. Participants had to choose three products from the 48 available in the virtual supermarket, to create a main dish. To facilitate statistical analysis, the study was designed to include an equal number (n = 12) of animal products, pulses, starches, and vegetables, representing four food groups. Product choices had a significantly positive link with fixation duration and significantly depended on the scenario and food group. The link between fixation duration and choices was more complex than expected. We identified three distinctive patterns, depending on product and scenario: (i) products were briefly fixated but frequently chosen (e.g., vegetables in the health scenario); (ii) products were fixated for longer but rarely chosen (e.g., pulses in the hedonic scenario); or (iii) fixation was similar but choice differed across food groups. The motivation of choice related to each scenario had a clear influence on the choice of products from specific food groups.