As we get closer to Christmas and people swarm the shops to find that perfect gift for their loved ones, something in the air (and in the speakers above) maybe influencing your purchasing decisions in a retail setting. The Christmas smell – oh ho ho, it’s very recognizable, normally a mix of cinnamon and mulled wine with hints of clove, ginger and orange – you’ll know it, many shops blast it through their stores at this time of year, making it very familiar, almost sickly at times.
The Christmas sound, it’s very recognizable too, normally a playlist consisting of Bing Crosby (White Christmas), Wham! (Last Christmas), Chris Rea (Driving Home For Christmas), Andy Williams (It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year) and The Pogues (Fairytale of New York) – not in that order and not exhaustive but that specific ‘Chrismassy’ feeling and setting has been set.
The retail store, it’s very typical as well – aisles awash with people desperate for that one gift that’ll make Christmas the best one yet, apparently. Put all three of these components together, the Christmas smell, the festive sound and the retail scene and you’ll potentially suffer open wallet surgery from all the gifts that have been purchased in your name.
Why? Well research has shown that a Christmas Smell and Christmas Sound in the background, playing in a retail environment can have a more positive influence on consumer evaluations of a product and store than one choosing to go without this holiday specific mix.
The research focused on items normally associated with the Christmas holiday season, and studied the dual effects that ambient scent and ambient music have on consumers’ perceptions of a store, its environment and products. Two tests were carried out – one with a Christmas smell and Christmas music, one with a non-Christmas scent and Christmas music and one with no smell at all.
The results showed that the effects of adding a background Christmas scent is influenced by the nature of the background music. When retailers use a Christmas scent with a Christmas song, evaluations are more favorable. The presence of the Christmas scent with non-Christmas music, however, lowers perceptions.
Wham!
