Stores build a better mousetrap - supermarkets orchestra lighting, music, aromas, and layout to prompt unplanned buying - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), July, 1997

You walk into a grocery store to buy milk, which is located in a cooler on the far wall. As you hurry down the aisle past bags of cookies, your imagination conjures up childhood memories of freshly dunked chocolate chip cookies turning soft and chewy in a cold cup of milk. After picking up a container of milk, you find your toe tapping to a toned-down version of the Rolling Stones' "Time is on My Side." Subconsciously, you think, "Hey, if `time is on my side,' why hurry?" You slow down just long enough to grab a bag of chocolate chip cookies to go along with your milk, subliminally reveling in musical memories and the prospect of reliving a childhood ritual. By now, you're almost salivating in anticipation of your previously unplanned bedtime snack.

Welcome to consumerism. You thought you were just making a trip to the supermarket, but, without realizing it, you've just been the target of calculated marketing.

Retail atmosphere is no accident, says Radford (Va.) University marketing professor Duncan Herrington. Usually, the music, colors, lighting, and even odors of a retail environment are calculated carefully to induce consumers to buy. For example, it's no accident that grocery shoppers have to pass many other items in order to reach basics such as meat and milk. These dietary staples invariably are along the "power perimeter" of the store, making them easy to find, but also guaranteeing walk-throughs that are likely to prompt unplanned purchases.

The same goes for those items grouped near the cash register. Candy or magazines, anyone? How about some scotch tape or a refrigerator magnet? it's also no coincidence when you smell potpourri, coffee, or food as you stroll through a shopping mall, Herrington points out. Vendors could use fans or other devices to eliminate or mask such odors, but why dilute a powerful sensory motivator?

It may seem like an odd bit of olfactory trivia, but, according to sensory research, men in particular are physiologically responsive to the smell of cinnamon buns. Individuals who had no inkling they were hungry could catch a whiff of those freshly-baked buns and, suddenly, the olfactory response becomes almost irresistible. Customers will stand in line, eager to satisfy their newly stimulated craving with gooey cinnamon buns.

In the past, conventional wisdom held that slow, soothing music in a retail environment would entice consumers to linger and spend, while fast music would drive them promptly from the store. From researching grocery store customers, Herrington found that musical tempo is not as important as musical preference. "Those who reported that they noticed and liked the background music took more time in the store and spent more money."

So, the next time you are in a store and the walls seem to whisper "spend," be aware that you could be hearing the echo of high-priced consultants and marketing experts who analyze what sights, sounds, and smells are most likely to separate you from the contents of your wallet.