04 Sep More Than a Good Smell: The Strategic Power of Scent in Commercial Spaces
Scent may be one of the least visible elements of a physical environment, but research suggests it can influence how people perceive, remember and respond to the spaces they enter. This has made ambient scent and commercial scenting an increasingly important part of conversations around customer experience and sensory marketing.
A major meta-analysis by Holger Roschk and Masoumeh Hosseinpour, published in the Journal of Marketing, analysed 671 effects from 64 articles, 71 samples and more than 15,000 respondents. The findings showed that pleasant ambient scent can positively influence mood, evaluations, memory, intentions and behaviour, with average effects ranging from 3% to 15%.
But this does not mean that simply adding fragrance to a store will increase sales by 15%. Scent is not a guaranteed sales tool. Its impact depends on factors such as the environment, fragrance intensity, familiarity and how well the scent fits the space.
A fragrance that works beautifully in a luxury hotel may not have the same effect in a retail store, restaurant or office. Customers experience scent alongside everything else around them—the design, lighting, temperature, music, products and service. When the fragrance complements these elements, it can become a natural part of the overall experience.
Recent research supports this. A 2024 meta-analysis examining ambient scent in retail and hospitality found positive effects across emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses in both sectors, with stronger cognitive and behavioural effects in hospitality.
There is, however, an important gap in the research. In the Roschk and Hosseinpour study, 91% of samples with an identifiable origin came from North America, Europe or Australia, while only 2% came from Africa. This highlights the need for more research into how consumers in African markets respond to ambient scent and commercial scenting within their own cultural and commercial environments.
The takeaway is not that every business needs a signature scent or that fragrance will automatically make customers spend more. It is that scent deserves a place in the wider customer experience strategy.
For businesses investing in their physical environments, the question is no longer simply, “Does this space smell good?”
It is: “Does the scent belong here, and does it support the experience we want people to have?”
That is where commercial scenting becomes more than fragrance. It becomes strategy.
About CECECA
CECECA is a premium fragrance and scent solutions company in Nigeria, providing retail fragrance products alongside professional scenting solutions for commercial environments.