Hello my nerdy friends,
Could a random, subtle thing, like scent, translate into more sales?
Let’s find out.
The research:
Researchers examined how a vanilla scent affected shopper behavior in fashion retail stores.
They alternated store days with and without scent.
On both types of days, 205 shoppers were observed and surveyed about how long they stayed, how much they spent, and how they felt while shopping (Cao & Duong, 2021).
🧪What they found:
When the store smelled like vanilla, shoppers stayed about 15% longer and spent around 20% more compared to days without scent.
They also reported feeling good.
When the scent was removed, both the emotions and behaviors declined.
Why?
We make decisions based on our emotions.
We process scents in the limbic system, which regulates emotion and memory, without consciously thinking about it.
Vanilla is a pleasant and familiar scent, with comforting associations - this makes people feel good and excited, without feeling overwhelmed.
People feel good, but since they’re not aware of that cause, they associate the positive feeling with the store itself.
This makes people stay longer, spend more, and want to return.
Will this work with other scents?
Probably.
But, according to the study, vanilla worked especially well because it made people feel happy, but it also kept them alert.
This combination (pleasant + mildly stimulating) creates what environmental psychology calls an approach emotional state - people want to stay in and explore the environment.
They note that unpleasant or overly intense scents can backfire by triggering avoidance behavior.
Takeaway
If you’re trying to increase sales in a real-life store (or maybe even an in-person sales meeting), try using a vanilla scent.
See you next week,
Ksenia, the chief nerd