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Eric Spangenberg determined which scent best stimulates sales. He found that it's as simple as possible. The simpler the scent, the easier the brain processes it, and the more focused a person is on shopping.
Retailers and scientists are well aware of the power of scent. Just look (or better yet, smell) shopping malls and the scent of pine branches at Christmas. Or watch real estate agents bake cakes in homes for sale, wafting a wonderful aroma throughout the home. Both of these practices are intended to encourage
sales . But are all scents suitable for this purpose?
A simple scent guarantees success
Eric Spangenberg, the pioneer of research into the impact of scent on sales, discovered that simple scents work best. He described the results of his experiment, which involved several hundred Swiss consumers, in
the Journal of Retailing . He exposed the Swiss residents to simple and more complex scents while they were shopping at a mall. Cashier receipts and brief interviews in stores revealed a significant increase in sales when the simple scent was present. The simple scent proved more effective.
Orange-scented experiment
Two types of scents were used in the experiment:
- simple scent of orange,
- a complex scent of orange and basil with the addition of green tea.
Over the course of 18 weeks, the study authors observed more than 400 customers at a home décor store during weekdays. The air was filled with simple scents, complex scents, or no scent at all.
Researchers found that one group of about 100 people spent an average of 20% more money and bought more things when the store smelled of simple orange.
A simple aroma is a smooth processing of olfactory stimuli
A series of separate experiments demonstrated that a simple scent facilitates problem-solving. Students were asked to solve a sequence of linguistic tasks. Various scents were sprayed throughout the room during the tasks. The students solved more problems and in a shorter time when accompanied by a simple scent. This took longer when accompanied by a complex scent or when it was absent. According to the researchers, the simple scent facilitates the smooth processing of olfactory signals.
Most people process these olfactory signals at a subconscious level. However, they are still influenced by them.
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