Simon Faure-Field walked BBC Asia producer/presenter Juliana Liu through Equal Strategy's music and fragrancing installation at Courts for a pre-recorded segment on the Asia Business Report presented by Rico Hizon.  The BBC reported on the growing trend for retailers to employ these leading edge sensory techniques as a way of stimulating customer behaviour and spending patterns.  Equal Strategy was presented in the report as the only consultant providing these services and solutions in the Asia Pacific region.

Rico Hizon:

Asians are known for their love of shopping. The retail industry accounts for a major part of the regional economy but store owners are lagging behind western counterparts in enticing customers with music and scent. But is brand atmospheric enough to draw in thrifty Asian shoppers?

Juliana Liu:

Walking into a store to make a purchase should be a pleasant experience and some shops like this home appliances retailer are actually hard wiring themselves to appeal to your sub-conscious. But does snappy music and soothing smells make you want to spend more? The store owners certainly hope so. They’ve installed this system to pipe a concentrated fragrance through the air condition throughout the store. The effect is meant to be clean and green so that customers stay longer and buy more. Simon Faure-Field is the man behind the smell.

Simon Faure-Field:

We can use fragrancing as another way to make a place smell more attractive, make people more comfortable and that again will mean they will spend more time, more money and on top of that will help build brand loyalty. 

Juliana Liu:

Loyalty from little bottles - he shows me a range of scents including one reserve for exclusive use by the Shangri-La chains of hotels. And that’s not all, even the music is especially programmed. So, why would a company spend a few thousand dollars to pipe scent and music?

Gobind Chugani (Manager, Courts):

It’s more the customer experience more than anything else. It’s a totally different revolutionary kind of thing that we are trying out; not only sights, sound but scent or smell as well. So, it puts you in the right mood, puts you in the right rhythm.

Juliana Liu:

Hopefully the rhythm to buy - in the electronic section most customers are blistery unaware of all the subtle additions to their shopping experience.

Customer:

I used to come here but I haven’t been here for a long time. It is now looking very nice. And now that you mention it, yes, I think the smell does matter. They cleaned up the place. So, image is important, too. But of course the bottom line for me, I’m a thrifty customer. I would think the price matters because at the end of the time I’m not going to bring this aroma home.