eBay’s London Pop-Up Explores What Influences Shopping Habits

The goal is to help consumers understand their behaviors and be more mindful about what they purchase

The Art of Shopping, a pop-up experience put together by eBay in partnership with Saatchi Art in London, attempted to show consumers the factors that influence their shopping habits by combining neuroscience with art.

At the exhibit, visitors could strap on an electroencephalogram headband that would take note of their reactions to various collections of products and generate data, which eBay analyzed to determine what inspires shoppers versus what fatigues them.

“We want to be there for consumers when inspiration strikes and offer a more personalised shopping experience,” Rob Hattrell, vice president of eBay UK, told WGSN. “Through the Art of Shopping we’re exploring this in a fun, engaging way but the integration of interests at the end of the year gives a glimpse into how we see the future of shopping on eBay.”

The Art of Shopping incorporated games on tablets, as well as sculptures and other images, to examine how visitors reacted to varying forms of beauty and design. After completing their walk-through, visitors received an email breaking down their neurological responses to each exhibit, as well as a list of eBay products that their results suggested they might find inspiring.

The goal of the pop-up was to promote a more personal and engaging shopping experience and to replace the mindset of shopping in order to keep up with friends and neighbors with a mindset that associates the shopping experience with inspiration and inner peace.

Hattrell said in a press release, “eBay is encouraging Brits to reject the boring and beige, and to stop shopping like everybody else. Instead, we want shoppers to be bolder and express their individuality.”

The Art of Shopping