But, it also smelled like – Lysol. Not exactly the kind of smell that makes you pull out your wallet to buy, buy, buy.
Retailers are tuning into this. A good-smelling store encourages shoppers to stay, stay, stay, which will hopefully lead to the buy. There are now entire organizations (like Prolitec) that specialize in creating custom scents for retailers, aimed at evoking such a strong response in customers that it leads to increased purchases.
“Ambient” scent is what they’re calling it. Initially I thought it was a bit too manipulative – sort of big brother-ish, but after my recent experience, I think I’m going to start collecting a list of retail locations that need it (Ross fitting rooms are one of them.) and send it to these scent companies.
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin is one of the latest retailers to jump on the smell bandwagon. More than 40 stores in southeastern Wisconsin and Chicago will smell of sweet orange and honeysuckle. Mmm…delish.
Can a better smelling store make you buy? I’m not sure I would buy because Goodwill smelled like honeysuckle versus socks, but I might stay a lot longer. And I would definitely go back more frequently. It reminds me of the days when realtors would bake cookies (Otis Spunkmeyer anyone?) in the hopes of luring clients to buy.
What’s your take on ambient scenting? Have you experienced it? If so, tell us about it here!
-Heather Strang
*Photo by Andrew Levine, courtesy of Wiki Commons.
Sometimes even intentional scents can be overpowering – take, for example, Abercrombie & Fitch. Their signature scent permeates the mall, and if you do buy something, it takes a few washes before the cologne scent finally fades away!
Something similar happened to me today. I went to a Starbucks in Manchester that didn't smell as usual (coffee), instead the store smelled like cleaning products! It totally shocked me!
And talking about examples of smelling stores I think the best example of ambient scenting is Abercrombie. Even one time I heard a conversation of two girls that didn't wash their clothes in order to keep the smell on them.
Erika and B,
Abercrombie & Fitch is either genius or not. The smell is good but the fact that it lasts for days and even weeks is a bit much. What do you think?
Erika – a Starbucks that smells like cleaning supplies? Ick! So sorry about that.
Thanks for weighing in!
Heather
Scent marketing – and neuromarketing in general – is a very complex discipline. It all started with bakeries and pastry stores that had their ovens in basements with vents that fumed with delicious scents of fresh bread, vanilla and chocolate. People followed the smell that somehow made them crave the baked goods, went in and bought something. Then, not so long ago, those stores having understood the effect of smell on people, started pumping exaggerated scents that traveled far along the streets and reminded passersby of their goods to make them come in and buy something.
Then the retailers started catching on.
Abercrombie&Fitch are pioneers but also rule-breakers in this area in the sense that they didn't even want to make it subtle. They developed their own scent – an actual perfume destined to be used by their customers – then decided to pump it into the air of their stores in a massive manner – to make people smell it immediately but also to get everyone entering the store to smell like the perfume. Nowadays you can find an Abercrombie store just by following the smell. Abercrombie use incredible amounts of scent – besides hundreds of scent machines per store, they also have people spraying the stuff between the folds of clothes – it has become part of their overwhelming store experience. Like it or not, it seems to have its effect on the fans…They work with Prolitec, a company that has a lot of expertise in this area (I know this because I have worked with them in the past).
Nowadays everyone seems to want to jump on the scent marketing wagon. Hotel chains have developed their signature scents and pump them into the ventilation, malls use subtle soothing (numbing?) scents (and sounds) in their air (that might also be pumped with extra oxygen) and big brands are still wondering what path they should follow. It is a certainty that smell is a strong influencer of general behavior and mood, which has a direct influence on shopping behavior. Nevertheless, finding a scent that appeals to many while transporting the values of a certain brand is a very hard exercise. Colette, the fabulous Parisian store started doing this very early on and marketed their store scent in a bottle labeled "L'air de Colette" (the air of Colette). I am sure that this range flies off the shelves as people want to bring a reminder of the French coolness into their homes. But not every company succeeds in this exercise. Very often the used smells are artificial and overwhelming and tend to unnerve rather than influence. I believe that one of the first people who has eloquently described the influence of smell on the psyche is the French author Marcel Proust who, each time he smelled "madeleines", was immediately transported back to his childhood. And the brand that can create a smell that can remind you of a safe and happy place will also win your consumer heart. Because after all, in every act of buying, there undeniably lies a quest for happiness.
Thanks Heather for bringing on such an interesting subject! xxx Maya
Maya,
You are soooo exceptionally knowledgeable in everything retail – love that about you!
It is a fine line – isn't it? Because what smells good to some, doesn't smell good to others. And then, there comes the manipulation piece. Can consumers be manipulated that easily? If shopping is just about trying to buy a piece of happiness (which we know is only momentary – not lasting!), then ethically are we okay with manipulating folks to buy?
So many questions, so little time! It definitely begins to get into the bigger psychological and moral issues for retailers.
I love your example about Colette – they made it their thing – and by selling it in a small bottle – there intention was very transparent to the consumer. That seems extremely ethical and a lovely way to create a strong brand following.
Thanks for all you do!
-Heather