Olfaction and the retail environment: examining the influence of ambient scent |
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Authors: | Philippa Ward Barry J Davies Dion Kooijman |
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Institution: | (1) Business School, University of Gloucestershire, Pallas Villa The Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2RH, UK;(2) Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5043, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | This article concerns the ability of smell to assist the development and communication of retail brand image. It presents
a number of propositions regarding ambient smell and the retail environment derived from the literature—including the potential
for novel ambient aromas to act as a distinctive element in a retailer’s marketing mix. Empirical testing is achieved through
a ‘natural experiment’ in a large electrical store using fragranced and unfragranced conditions. An environmental psychology
base was used to develop an in-store questionnaire, supported by direct measurement of customer dwell times and subsequent
interviews. In total, 329 questionnaires were returned and 429 customer groups were timed in the two departments where the
experiment occurred. Significant differences in consumer perceptions of the store’s environmental attributes were identified,
despite the fact that less than 10% of respondents questioned were aware of the use of in-store fragrances. The qualitative
interviews provided some initial confirmation for the more complex propositions concerning the memory of scents. |
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Keywords: | Smell Scent Retail brand image Retail environment Human olfaction |
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