Sensory marketing: merchandising through the emotions in point of sale. Analysis of a case

Abstract

To buy is not always a rational action. Many times consumers are driven by emotions, by the senses. In this scenario the concept of sensory marketing appears, which responds to the stimulation of the senses to try to increase the profitability of commercial establishments. In the case of retail, different colors are used to identify sections, music is used to increase the time spent in a space; a pleasant smell is enhanced to evoke an enveloping environment or to give a product a try and, in this way, to make it known, thus increasing the probability of sale. Those establishments that implement sensory marketing usually get very pleasant results. In the present study, the implementation of a series of simple sensory marketing techniques is analyzed in the case of a Spanish textile company (Sevillian) adapting the model of Hulten, Broweus and Van Dijk (2009). Specifically, visual, olfactory and audible marketing tactics are applied to analyze the subsequent perceptions and attitudes of consumers against three objective and measurable items such as: the time spent in the store, customer satisfaction and the total sales of the establishment.