Sofia Kleyweg, Hans Schepers & Adriaan Kole

Since 2007 the Restaurant of the Future in Wageningen (The Netherlands) is a daily restaurant and a ‘reality lab’ at the same time. Over 30 cameras observe all customer behaviour and all personal purchase behaviour is tracked. Assorment, presentation ,and information display is under control of the researchers. This worldwide unique research facility allows the researchers to study ‘real’ consumer behaviour. One of the first studies concerned behavioural changes in reaction to a ‘humidifier’; a device that aims to make fresh produce look more appealing and fresh for longer time, by vaporising water over them (see picture). This new technique may help promoting healthy dietary behaviour in making (raw) salads more attractive. On the other hand the stainless steel device might reject consumers by its very unnatural look.

Choice behaviour towards six varieties of salads (3 raw and 3 dressing) was observed under three experimental conditions: no humidifier, humidifier present not working, and humidifier spreading vapor. By these conditions the effect of mere presence of the humidifier and dispersing vapor can be separated. Approaching and choice behaviour were registered and quantified, as were cah register data. Mediating factor was trait neophobia, which is known from registered customers. Furthermore, focusgroups were held to investigate consumers’ impressions and subjective quality perception.

We were able to show that the presence of the humidifier attracted more consumers to the saladbar. Apparently non-salad eaters as well, since relative salad choice was affected negatively. Overall salad sales however remained stable over the experimental period (12 weeks). However, choice for the more healthy raw salads increased relative to dressing salads. Neophobia: neophobics were clearly rejected by the device itself. Some non-neophobics showed rejection of the vapor. Focusgroups revealed that consumers’ had negative associations with the vapor, that can be resolved.

Results will be discussed in the context of the Restaurant of the Future as a ‘reality lab’ and further (methodological) opportunities of datamining will be explained.