The signal function of thematically (In)congruent ambient scents in a retail environment.
An odor emitted by an object signals the presence of that object and may draw attention to it. Can odors that are not actually emitted by an object also function as a signal? We investigated whether the degree of thematic congruency between an ambient odor and a magazine affected magazine sales in a retail store. We selected two odors: a grass odor, congruent with soccer, animal/nature and gardening magazines; and a sunflower odor, congruent with personal care and women's magazines. In a field study in three bookstores, the ambient odors did not increase sales for thematically congruent magazines, nor did they decrease sales for incongruent magazines. Several explanations for these unexpected findings are discussed.
Schifferstein
Hendrik N J
HN
Department of Industrial Design, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands. h.n.j.schifferstein@io.tudelft.nl
Blok
Sylvia T
ST
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D035841:Behavioral Research; D003132:Commerce; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009812:Odorants; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires