Retail
Does scent marketing increase retail dwell time?
The honest answer: the research points one way, but only when the scent fits the store.
Short answer
Published research into ambient scent consistently associates a pleasant, congruent store fragrance with longer browsing and more favourable evaluations of the space. The effect depends on fit — a fragrance that suits the product and the customer helps, and one that does not can shorten a visit. Scenteq specifies per store rather than selling a single scent to every site.
Why congruence matters more than strength
A stronger scent is not a better one. The retail environments that perform well use a low, steady fragrance level that is noticeable on entry and unnoticed within minutes.
Fit is the variable that matters. A warm amber suits a leather goods floor; it fights with a children's wear department. Getting congruence right is the difference between an atmosphere and a distraction.
Where dwell time is won in a store
Entrance thresholds, fitting rooms and till queues are the three points where customers decide whether to stay or leave. These are the areas we dose deliberately.
- Entrance zone — the first three seconds of the visit
- Fitting rooms — where the decision is actually made
- Queue lines — where a poor environment loses the basket
- Back-of-store departments customers rarely reach
How to measure it properly
Run a four-week baseline before switching the system on, then compare the same four weeks scented. Footfall counters, average transaction value and dwell measurements from your existing analytics are enough — you do not need new hardware.
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