there are two major schools of thought when it comes to how consumers buy products. both are backed by extensive research. the older line of thinking is that people decide what they are going to buy in a few seconds, when standing in the store, in front of a shelf. more recent research1 suggests that people already know what they want to buy, long before they are even confronted with the products on the shelves. they decide up front what they need, and then they go get it. in both cases, packaging plays a crucial part.
