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Chem. Senses 27: 539-549, 2002
© Oxford University Press 2002

The Signal Function of Thematically (In)congruent Ambient Scents in a Retail Environment

Hendrik N.J. Schifferstein1,2 and Sylvia T. Blok2

1 Department of Industrial Design, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands 2 Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Correspondence to be sent to: Hendrik N.J. Schifferstein, Department of Industrial Design, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands. e-mail: h.n.j.schifferstein{at}io.tudelft.nl

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.


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