Smell is our most primal sense, our brains being keenly tuned into scent. Smell is processed in the same part of the brain that handles our memory, emotions and creativity. That is why, on a personal level, a certain scent can trigger or recall a memory, an experience all of us have noticed at least once in our lifetime. Little wonder why some big retailers, who have already mastered the art of sights, sound, textures and colors into the environment they have created, are now taking into consideration the importance of the perfect fragrance, suitable for their business.
The Science of Smell
Our brains are intensely tuned into scent. Our bodies generate scent neurons every few weeks to ensure they’re always in good function. Scent travels immediately through various parts of your brain instead of being centrally processed first, unlike our other senses, making it trigger other biological phenomenon and enhancing other senses, such as taste.
Yet, some of us are still a bit skeptical about the notion that certain smells are able to change human behavior. These findings are, however, part of a large body of scientific literature on the ability of fragrance to influence cognitive function and mood. In another study, at Duke University, study participants reported being so relaxed by the scent of lavender, as if they have gotten a physical massage.
This is no surprise, from a physiological standpoint. All in all, the smell is our most primal sense and it is processed in the same parts of the brain that handle emotions, creativity and memory0 the limbic system.
The science of scent works the same way as color’s. Certain colors are soothing and others energizing, different fragrances have different effects on the moods of the shoppers.
With that being said, let’s dive into our series on retail scents & fragrances!
Why Should You Add A Fragrance To Your Retail Store?
Would you like to enhance your customer’s purchase intention and loyalty to your business? Tap into the world of visual merchandising and use a nice smell to lure in customers to your stores. Visual merchandising refers to the techniques that retailers use to engage shoppers and encourage them to buy the products stocked by the retailer and help them increase sales.
Exploring The Sense Of Smell For Store Merchandising Purposes
There are five senses and one of them is the sense of smell. Sight is said to be the priority but the smell is crucial to the human being’s daily decisions, memories and emotions. The same theory applies to retail consumers. Smell, which is the most “emotional” sense, has a big impact on shoppers’ thoughts and feelings. It causes them to feel good while shopping.
The Bond Between Memory & Smell In Visual Merchandising
When preparing strategies to improve the attractiveness of your store and the way in which customers perceive the shopping experience inside your store, you need to be aware about a lot of simple facts that can help retailers get the best of any set of ideas they intent to implement so as to improve brand recognition and boost sales. Generally speaking, the principles of visual merchandising can provide insightful information about the details behind each approach that aims at creating a balance between what customers want and what stores and products are able to offer them.
How Scents In Retail Can Lead Customers To Impulse Purchases
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.
How Various Scents Relate With Your Brand Identity
What do scents in brand identity mean? Start with the basics! Your store needs a pleasant image. It is the brand that produces this image. Consumers are meticulous about brands. On the other hand, brands with identities are remembered by shoppers easily. Customers become loyal and trust brands that have specific personalities. The trademark’s personality educates the public on how to appreciate and use your merchandise. Establishing this personality is not difficult but retailers must be careful in conveying their brand messages to consumers.
How Smell Influences Thoughts & Emotions During Shopping
Imagine this. You are walking along the main aisle of a shopping center, blindfolded. It is Christmas and it is about time you bought the perfect presents for whoever you are going to meet later at dinner. In the air, several fragrances are floating, yet from somewhere in your nearest vicinity, a specific smell of gingerbread, mulled wine and cinnamon are luring you – inevitably, you choose to follow its path, unable to rely on visual perception.
Best Practices For Using Aromatherapy In Your Retail Store
When I was little I used to love strolling around in vintage shops with my mother and smell all the different time periods that those items had gone through. It was fascinating how much a simple smell could bring out. As I grew into my teenage years, I started to appreciate more the smell of scented candles in fancy clothing stores that gave me the chills of being extravagant, even though I never got around to purchase anything and it was only for the tiny thrill of trying out expensive shoes.
Emotions Invoked By Scents & Fragrances Used In Retail Stores
What do scents and emotions have in common? People smelling engaging smells get an enjoyable feeling. This is why retailers have come to learn the value of fragrances in store marketing strategies.
The Six Scent Families Of Ambient Scenting In Visual Merchandising
Imagine this: it’s Monday morning. You are trying to arrive on time at your soliciting workplace, heart beating, eyes still craving for another hour of sleep, ears deafened by the horns of the usual traffic jam, the bitter taste of your morning, still way too hot coffee on your burnt tongue and a growling stomach, angry at you, again, because you skipped breakfast. Your senses are bombarded every second of your life without even realizing it.
The Retailer’s Guide To Choosing the Right Scents In Stores
In retail marketing, scent matters a lot. The smart store owner must know how to choose a retail scent. Small details play a role in delivering the pleasant experience to consumers. These are lights, window displays, decorations, signage, layout, sales staff, and SMELL. According to many scents marketing experts, olfaction is the fundamental sense because the brain responds to a fragrance before other senses. The problem is most retailers do not realize this important issue.
Tips & Tricks On How To Influence Shoppers With Scents In Stores
We all know that since the very beginning of trading, sellers used a number of different tricks to make shoppers buy more and more. Some of them were kind of obvious and necessary for staying ahead of your competitors, like making high-quality products or offering discounts and various deals, but others are more subtle and often can’t be detected by customers. Have you ever heard of scents influencing people’s behaviors and decisions?
Scents That Will Make Your Customers Spend More At Your Store
When it comes to human senses, the scent is the one that may influence us in the most subtle, but powerful way; why am I saying this? Well, think about it: when your customers enter your store, they will see an explosion of colors, shapes and all of this–they will also hear the music you’re playing in your store–and, of course, all of these will have a big influence on them.
How Food Retailers Use Unique Food Scents to Sell
Walking along the sweets section in a supermarket and suddenly feeling like eating a bar of chocolate; going out with your friends in a fancy restaurant and ordering sushi, which you had never tried before, but only because it smelled delicious on someone else`s table etc.: these are frequent, daily and common situations which one may happen upon – and they all prove that senses can work in pairs. The nose is breathing in, the mouth is already watering in delight, even though the stomach is not yet hungry and the eyes are yet to see the delicatessen.
How The Smell Of Cinnamon Increases Sales In Stores & Retail Locations
When it comes to sales improvement, every retailer must take into account that there is a list of tricks they can (and should) use. And there isn’t just this, they must know that every inch of their retail space should be carefully arranged, in order to have more sales; and I’m not only talking about the design, I’m talking about creating an atmosphere: when it comes to this, you have plenty to consider.
Scents & Fragrances For Retail Stores During Holidays: Christmas, New Year’s Eve & More
Christmas is near and everyone can hear and smell it in the air. This is one season in the year that people want to spend and buy more. People are nostalgic and want to recall the good times. They become more big-hearted with money for their loved ones and close friends.
Customers & Scents: What Type of Scents Should You Use?
It is no secret that the key to having a successful retail business can be found in understanding the customer, their preferences, and their habits, not only in relation to what they choose to buy, but also to how they choose to do it. Every person walking into a store should be regarded as a potential customer, with a unique shopping behavior, which may or may not fit the pattern the retailer expects from them.
Successful Retail Companies That Sell With Their Scents
Many flourishing retail firms today use scent marketing in creating the proper ambiance to match with their brands, products and services. Small store owners can adopt their strategies including scent marketing to experience the kind of success these companies are now going through. However, it is worth discussing unique strategy before mentioning some of the booming retail outlets.
Affordable And Effective Scent Marketing Solutions
This article is coming soon – we’re currently researching the best provider of retail scenting solutions and we’ll publish as soon as we have a comprehensive list of reputable solutions.
All in all, you should always keep in mind that matching the scent to your business is the key. Read our guide articles concerning this topic and you will be able to create your own success formula.
