DOI: 10.11118/ecos2026_041

THE ROLE OF HAPTIC PRODUCT EXPERIENCE IN CONSUMER EVALUATION: AN EYE-TRACKING AND PUPILLOMETRY STUDY OF REUSABLE BOTTLES

Jan Vrána¹, Stanislav Mokrý¹, Michal Pšurný¹

¹ Department of Marketing and Trade, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

This study examines how physical and digital product presentation shape consumer evaluation in the context of reusable water bottles. The research focuses on whether the possibility of direct tactile interaction with a product influences perceived attractiveness, purchase intention, certainty of evaluation, and pupil response. An experimental design combining eye-tracking, pupillometry, and a post-exposure questionnaire was used to compare electronic product presentation with physical presentation involving product handling. The findings suggest that tactile interaction did not systematically change perceived product attractiveness. However, for selected products, the form of presentation affected purchase intention and certainty of evaluation, indicating that haptic information may become relevant when material or functional product characteristics are salient. The pupillometry results showed differences between physical and electronic presentation, although pupil dilation was not consistently associated with product attractiveness or purchase intention. Overall, the study contributes to sensory marketing research by showing that physical product experience may influence selected aspects of consumer decision-making, while its effect depends on the specific product and evaluated attribute. The results also highlight both the potential and limitations of pupillometry as a complementary method for studying consumer responses to haptic product presentation.

Keywords: haptics, product presentation, eye-tracking, pupillometry, consumer decision-making, sensory marketing, reusable bottles

pages: 372-386, online: 2026