Impulse buying or purchase is often defined as a spontaneous decision to buy any commodity or service. Psychological research explains emotions play a significant role in making a purchase. It is activated once the individual sees the merchandise or after he or she is exposed to a very enticing advertising message. Experienced retailers and marketing specialists take advantage of such impulses related to basic wants for immediate satisfaction.

According to a report from the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers become more inclined to purchase on a whim for a particular brand if they are distracted while doing their shopping chores. Impulse buying hurts the household’s budget and is, therefore, negative to families that need to save money.

The sense of smell is immediate because it goes directly to the brain’s nucleus. Retail store designers know the crucial connection between scents and impulse buying. This is an emotional association that creates an urge or compulsion among customers that compels them to purchase. Impulse purchases make up for a large piece of the shopper’s spending pie.

When it comes to scents and impulsivity, small traditional stores seem to have the advantage. Research says people have the inclination to make unexpected or impromptu purchases compared to online vendors or high-end outlets. One of the reasons is brick and mortar establishments control the shopping behavior of because they can easily engage the senses and impact buying decisions.

Just how can scent marketing add to the desire of a person to buy right away?

Increase Compulsion Buying

Once store owners realize the value of scents and impulse buying, they must discover techniques in using smell to compel a customer to purchase without thinking twice. Some retailers fail to value the power of fragrance.

These “misguided” entrepreneurs may not have formulated strategies to enhance the shopping experience. How does smell affect buyers? Perhaps, a trademark scent in your shop can distinguish you from competitors.

One very unique smell can evoke happy memories and emotions in a split second. Remember there is a link between smell and a human being’s memory.

An unforgettable and positive experience in a small establishment will help transform first-time shoppers into loyal patrons. Scents can boost a person’s mood. If shoppers walk inside a store with a pleasing fragrance, they tend to relax and become more comfy with the surroundings.

When you talk about emotions and how these affect scents and impulse buying, it is important to know that 75 percent of all emotions people engender on a daily basis are caused by smells they come across. Human beings recall smells accurately and become emotionally attached to these scents.

Scent Marketing & Impulse Buying

Scent marketing is the latest buzzword in retail visual merchandising and advertising landscape. Retailers discovered that smells help increase consumer spend, get the attention of more customers and produce terrific brands. Scents together with music, decorations and signage are now an essential component of a retail enterprise’s general image.

Does scent marketing have anything to do with scents and impulsivity? The majority of consumers avoid impulse buying since it ruins their spending budget. However, certain scents agitate emotions and a person affected by this phenomenon suddenly finds the urge to buy an item that is not really a necessity. Scent companies (like Scent Air) work on this basic hypothesis which makes scents more intricate. The correct dispersal of scent activates a feeling that makes customers quite reckless.

Consumers who purchase on impulse obviously are willing to pay more for merchandise. They will look at products positively and spend more to bring them home. The stimulating fragrance makes them less concerned about the price. Likewise, the presence of aroma in retail establishments leads to some commodities being graded 25 percent higher compared to items displayed in fragrance-free areas. Merchandise ratings produce a considerable impact on retail businesses as these become more dominant in the modern business world. The properly scented space gives products the chance to impress customers.

Customer Loyalty

What is the good side of scents and impulsivity? Programs for customer loyalty in the retail sector are essential to Customer Relationship Management or CRM. These programs give more value to shoppers and bolster credibility.

Patronage of loyalty programs have gone up considerably during the last 10 years. Hence, consumers must understand better how this approach works. There are psychological and sociological mechanisms involved. Yet, the subjects call for more extensive understanding among big, medium and small retailers.

Scents and Customers’ Desires

Scents provoke and enhance the yearning of people to buy. For example, people who smell freshly-baked bread or sumptuous dishes become hungrier. The aroma of good food causes an empty tummy to rumble even more. Grocery outlets that sell cakes and delicacies intentionally allow the smell of goodies to drift from the kitchen. This affects shoppers pushing their carts in the selling area. In other words, the right scent has the capacity to drive craving of customers and the corresponding increase in sales.

Unfortunately, impulse purchasing dislocates normal decision-making in the minds of consumers. An illogical moment of self-fulfillment replaces the rational order of consumers’ actions. Impulse products entice the emotional side of humans. Most of these goods are not even necessary to the buyers. This could be the negative side of scents and impulse buying.
Even then, it is a no-brainer for retailers to make the most out of scents. They heed to realize that congruent smells impact consumers. On the other hand, inappropriate scents can cause negative effects on store sales as well as the time shoppers stay in a particular shop. All these go back to the fundamental premise of – How do scents affect the impulse of consumers to make immediate purchases?