If you are considering professional scenting for your hotel, shop, office, spa or other business, one of the obvious questions is: does scent marketing actually work, or does it simply make the building smell nicer?
The research suggests scent can influence how people perceive and behave within commercial environments. Studies have reported effects on store evaluations, time spent in a space, intention to return and, in certain retail environments, actual customer spending and sales. However, the results also show that simply adding any pleasant fragrance is not enough — the scent, intensity and environment all matter.
Can Scent Marketing Increase Sales?
There is evidence that it can in the right environment. One field study involving more than 400 shoppers compared a simple orange fragrance, a more complex fragrance and an unscented condition. Customers exposed to the simple fragrance spent around 20% more on average than the comparison groups.
Another real-world supermarket study found that carefully selected ambient scent at the appropriate intensity had a positive effect on time spent in-store and store-level sales.
20% MORE SPENT
In one real-world retail experiment, customers exposed to a simple ambient scent spent around 20% more on average.
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Individual results vary. Scenting should be considered part of the overall customer environment rather than a guaranteed way to increase sales.
Can Scent Make Customers Stay Longer?
Research also suggests ambient scent can influence how customers experience time within a commercial environment. The supermarket field study found increased time spent in-store under its effective scent condition.
For retailers and hospitality businesses, dwell time can be commercially relevant because a customer who feels comfortable remaining in the environment has more opportunity to browse, interact with the business and make a purchase.
Does Scent Improve the Customer Experience?





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