Smells Like Success, Sounds Like Big Business. Shopping With All Senses.

A Shopping Experience for All the Senses.

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Background music, colors, scents — sensory stimuli, when used correctly, can create a true wow experience at the point of sale. What smells like success also sounds like a business concept retail can rely on.

No Homo Economicus at the Point of Sale.

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Let’s start with a basic question: What actually influences our buying decisions? Price, quality, product benefits? If it were just those things, we’d all behave like “homo economicus” — the theoretical human who acts fully rationally and is perfectly informed.
That kind of consumer compares prices and features across countless stores before buying.
But real-life behavior doesn’t follow such logic. You’ll never truly meet a “homo economicus” at the point of sale.
We don’t only shop with our heads — we listen to our gut. Emotions play a major role in how we shop. Sensory cues like sound, sight, and scent make shopping in-store a memorable experience by creating emotional relevance for customers.

Let’s Feel It.

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A point of sale that you can feel clearly stands out from online competitors. Online purchases often lack emotional depth. Meanwhile, many in-store cues don’t even reach our conscious awareness — like background music (read more in our article on in-store audio and POS radio), lighting, or scents.
According to neuroscience, these cues influence our decisions far more than we realize. A great example: the Parisian concept store Collect, whose signature scent was so popular that they ended up selling it — and it quickly sold out.
Experts estimate that 70% of all decisions — including purchase decisions — happen unconsciously.

Room for Emotions.

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70% of buying decisions are made spontaneously in front of the shelf — driven by impulse and emotion, not logic.
The right sensory stimuli are key ingredients in exciting store concepts. They’re powerful tools that shape the atmosphere of a space and tap into the emotional side of shopping.
The basic idea: the more comfortable customers feel, the longer they’ll stay in the store — and the more likely they are to make a purchase.
That said, there are no simple, one-size-fits-all formulas here. Soft lighting, pleasant scents, and charming music can all contribute — but what matters is the sum of the experience, not any single element.
In the best-case scenario, color, music, and scent work together to create a coherent and positive overall impression.

It’s Time to Be Sensitive.

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Retail experts have long known that sensory cues work. But only with tools like CT scans and neurological research have we begun to understand how they affect the brain.
A key player in our subconscious purchase decisions is the amygdala — part of the brain’s limbic system. It filters the flood of incoming information, selecting what carries emotional weight — and heavily influences what we buy.

Good to Know. Basic Facts About Sensory Stimuli at the Point of Sale.

• Music increases the sense of comfort. According to a study by Danube University Krems, 64% of shoppers say music makes shopping more enjoyable.
• The impact of in-store music depends on factors like tempo, volume, and genre (see research from the Customer Insight Center at the University of St. Gallen). Most people feel uncomfortable in total silence.
• When choosing music, consider your target group, product category, and even time of day. For younger audiences, music can be louder; in the afternoon, calmer, more relaxing music is often best.
• Scents are processed directly in the limbic system — not consciously in the neocortex. They trigger immediate, emotional responses.
• Every color carries associations. Warm tones are more stimulating, while cooler blues and greens create a relaxed and calming atmosphere.

Let’s Call It... Sensitive Signage!

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Even Digital Signage and In-Store Screens can benefit from sound — and even scent — to enhance visual messaging.
Take a burger ad, for example: the smell of grilled meat and the sizzling sound of it cooking would instantly grab more attention.
Taste is also closely linked: roughly 80% of what we perceive as taste is actually based on smell. (Try tasting a food sample while holding your nose — you’ll see.)

Whatever you’re planning, we’re here to help — as your full-service agency and digitalization partner, from the very first idea to ongoing support.
Because that, to us, smells and sounds like success!

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