Consumer decisions are rarely based on logic alone – research suggests that emotions often guide our purchases more than we realise. The colours we perceive, the materials we feel, and even the way a product is presented can trigger emotional reactions that influence whether we make a purchase or walk away. Certain emotional responses increase the motivation to react in a specific way. For example, Positive emotions, such as happiness, have been shown to enhance interest and appeal towards products, ultimately shaping consumer behaviour. (Achar et al. 2016; Dixit 2020, 19; Vaidya & Kalita 2021, 12.)
Fashion products can elicit emotions through immediate emotional responses to the product’s appearance, its comfort and fit, and how it resonates with the consumer’s identity, values, and even memories (Kodžoman et al. 2023, 350). Imagine a customer browsing in a store and stumbling upon a colourful summer dress. Without realising it, they feel happier looking at it. Once they try it on, they feel confident, cheerful, and energetic. They associate the dress with nostalgic memories of summer. These positive emotional responses triggered by the dress influence purchasing decisions and intensify the urge to buy the dress. The consumer is not only buying a product but also a feeling and meaning.
Challenges of evoking emotional responses in online shopping environments
Evoking emotional responses in brick-and-mortar stores is a lot more straightforward. However, online shopping presents challenges to consumers. Without physical interactions, how can products appeal emotionally, and how can brands measure responses? In in-store environments, consumers can touch, feel, and try on products, making emotional responses more intuitive. In online environments, product perception relies heavily on descriptions and images. This raises the question of how emotional engagement can be effectively achieved and measured through images and textual content alone.
One possible step towards developing comprehensive customer experiences in online environments is utilising facial expression tracking to analyse real-time emotional responses. This technology can detect whether a product sparks emotions such as joy, disgust, contempt, or surprise.
Instead of relying solely on clicks and purchase history, facial expression tracking provides insight into how products make consumers feel. However, research on this approach remains limited, leaving gaps in understanding consumer emotions toward products in online environments.
Researching product appeal through facial expression tracking
Ruotsalainen’s (2025) thesis revealed that the analysis of facial expressions can determine product appeal based on positive emotional responses. By combining facial expression tracking with eye-tracking technology, the study demonstrated that emotional reactions could be linked to various product attributes, such as design, material, price, and even category. Interestingly, it was also found that negative emotional responses can provide valuable insights, helping brands refine products to better match the preferences of their target audience.
However, facial expression tracking only captures emotional responses and does not offer context or explanation as to why those reactions occurred. Therefore, when tracking is combined with traditional user research methods, such as interviews, it is possible to go deeper into understanding the internal world of the customer. By analyzing the data together with the test participant, researchers can ask more focused and deeper questions that capture conscious evaluations of emotional responses and products. This allows businesses to refine their online strategies and become more aware of their connection and interaction with customers in online environments.
Summary
Emotional responses to products are an important factor in consumer buying decisions. Measuring consumers’ emotions to improve product appeal is, however, challenging, especially in online shopping, where there is no real interaction between a salesperson and a buyer. Facial expression tracking with eye-tracking technology can help businesses collect data on which elements are most appealing to consumers to make marketing and customer experience better.
Authors
Kira Ruotsalainen is an international business student at LAB University of Applied Sciences graduating in the summer of 2025.
Emmi Maijanen is a senior lecturer of the Faculty of Business and Hospitality Management at LAB University of Applied Sciences.
References
Achar, C., So, J., Agrawal, N. & Duhachek, A. 2016. What we feel and why we buy: the influence of emotions on consumer decision-making. Cited 24 Mar 2025. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.01.009
Dixit, A. 2020. Emotional Design: Utilizing Emotional Triggers to Influence Consumer Behaviour. International Peer Reviewed/Refereed Multidisciplinary Journal (EIPRMJ), Vol. 9 (1), 19-28. Cited 3 Feb 2025. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373736751_Emotional_Design_Utilizing_Emotional_Triggers_to_Influence_Consumer_Behaviour
Kodžoman, D., Čuden, A.P. & Čok, V. 2023. Emotions and fashion: how garments induce feelings to the sensory system. Industria textilǎ, Vol. 74 (3), 346-355. Cited 24 Mar 2025. Available at DOI 10.35530/IT.074.03.202253
Ruotsalainen, K. 2025. Emotions and Product Appeal: A Facial Expression Tracking Study. Thesis (bachelor’s degree). LAB University of Applied Sciences. Cited 21 Mar 2025. Available at https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202502152898
Vaidya, G. & Kalita, P.Ch. 2021. Understanding Emotions and their Role in the Design of Products: An Integrative Review. Archives of Design Research, Vol. 34 (3), 5-21. Cited 3 Feb 2025. Available at DOI 10.15187/adr.2021.08.34.3.5
