Project R-4859

Olfactory marketing: The role of fragrance and its interaction with other atmospheric and non-atmospheric cues in a shopping experience. (Research)

Atmospheric elements such as lights, music and scents make up the physical environment of a store and can have a substantial impact on consumers' shopping behaviour. However, little is known about (1) the moderating influence of individual differences on scent effects, (2) the interaction effects of scent with other atmospheric cues and (3) the impact of scent on ease of orientation and perceived variety of the assortment. My project seeks to fill this gap. First, individual differences may moderate the effect of fragrances on shopping behaviour. Adding these non-atmospheric cues in my research allows me to find out which moderators are relevant and will nuance existing and new findings. Second, shopping is a holistic experience in which consumers are simultaneously exposed to several atmospheric cues. This means that the effect of one atmospheric cue can be influenced by other elements. Therefore, it is important to study interaction effects of fragrances with other atmospheric cues. Previous research indicated that scents influences the attention consumers give to stimuli in the environment. In the last part I study whether scents can influence the mental map of a store or shelf as well as the perceived variety of and satisfaction with the assortment.

01 October 2013 - 30 September 2016