Abstract

Of all the atmospheric factors, scent may be one of the most powerful. This research examines whether effects of olfactory stimuli on consumer behavior in retail settings can be obtained via retronasal administration, and to what extent retronasally administered stimuli affect consumer responses. The focus of this research is on consumer responses that are of interest to retailers, yet have not been addressed in the marketing literature, such as endurance at completing a shopping task, fatigue, browsing, and attention to and memory for information encountered in the retail environment. It is predicted that the scent of peppermint increases endurance and reduces feelings of fatigue, while the scent of cinnamon is expected to improve attention and memory.
Eighty-seven students (65% female) participated in field experiment with a one factor between participants design (scent: peppermint, cinnamon, control) in which scents were administered to the experimental groups using flavored chewing gum. The average time spent shopping was significantly higher for the peppermint condition than for the cinnamon or the control condition. Retronasal olfaction also influenced perceived shopping time. There were no significant effects on self-reported fatigue, workload, attention, or memory. Overall, this research shows that certain retronasally delivered olfactory stimuli lead to changes in some consumer responses.