ENXHI MARKU (SHEHU)1*, ARJAN SHUMELI2, ERION SHEHU3
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1Logos University College, Tirana, Albania 2Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania 3Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania Abstract Food-quality labels such as organic, origin, vegan/vegetarian, nutritional, and eco-certifications are increasingly central to consumer decision-making in European markets. Recent research has adopted biometric and immersive methods—eye-tracking, virtual reality (VR), galvanic skin response (GSR), and discrete-choice experiments (DCE)—to examine how these labels attract visual attention, elicit emotional responses, and shape willingnessto-pay (WTP). This paper reviews current evidence and evaluates the feasibility of applying such methods in Albania. The review highlights the robustness of eye-tracking in quantifying label salience, the promise of VR in simulating realistic shopping contexts, and the potential but mixed contributions of GSR and facial coding in capturing emotional arousal. DCEs, meanwhile, provide a cost-effective and accessible means of quantifying consumer preferences, already successfully applied in Albania and neighboring countries. The paper concludes with a practical framework for Albanian researchers, outlining methodological pathways that balance rigor with feasibility, and suggesting alternatives where high-cost biometric tools may not be realistic. Keywords:food labels, consumer behavior, eye-tracking, virtual reality, biometric methods, Western Balkans. |
