Independent research
Scent marketing research & scientific evidence
How scents subconsciously steer emotions, behaviour and well-being. Our approach is based entirely on independent research and extensive field studies.
At Zaluti, scientific findings and field studies form the foundation. International research confirms the effect of a precisely tuned scent: it reduces stress and makes visitors feel more comfortable immediately.
In addition, specific scents in professional environments prove their added value by significantly supporting concentration, clarity and productivity.
Yes, the effect of scent marketing is scientifically proven: independent, peer-reviewed publications demonstrate effects on dwell time, purchase intent, concentration and perceived safety – on one condition: the scent must be subtle and congruent.
Longer dwell time, higher purchase intent, better concentration and greater perceived safety.
Peer-reviewed and verifiable via DOI or PubMed – no marketing claims.
Congruence: the scent must suit the space, category and brand. Otherwise there is no effect.
Low intensity works best in all studies. Conscious perception is not necessary.
The key figures from the research
| Measured effect | Result | Study | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dwell time in retail | +15.9 % | Stöhr – air design in retail | 10.1007/978-3-663-01084-5 ↗︎ |
| Purchase intent in retail | +14.8 % | Stöhr – air design in retail | 10.1007/978-3-663-01084-5 ↗︎ |
| Revenue increase (individual cases) | up to approx. 6% | Stöhr – air design in retail | 10.1007/978-3-663-01084-5 ↗︎ |
| Product rating & perceived waiting time | significantly better | Spangenberg et al. – ambient scent in retail | 10.1177/002224299606000205 ↗︎ |
| Dwell time & spending in restaurants | higher with lavender | Guéguen & Petr – aroma in restaurants | 10.1016/j.ijhm.2005.04.007 ↗︎ |
| Acute anxiety in the waiting room | significantly lower | Lehrner et al. – scent in the waiting room | PubMed 11134685 ↗︎ |
| Speed & error rate in the office | faster, fewer errors | Barker et al. – peppermint and office tasks | PubMed 14738372 ↗︎ |
| Litter & perceived safety in public transport | less litter, more safety | De Lange et al. – field study on trains | 10.1080/15534510.2012.659509 ↗︎ |
Dwell time in retail
Purchase intent in retail
Revenue increase (individual cases)
Product rating & perceived waiting time
Dwell time & spending in restaurants
Acute anxiety in the waiting room
Speed & error rate in the office
Litter & perceived safety in public transport
Retail scent marketing: the measurable effect on shopping experience and buying behaviour
The key is congruence: the scent must fit seamlessly with the product category and brand identity for the effect to occur.
Dwell time & revenue increase
Subtle scents can significantly increase dwell time, purchase intent and revenue in retail.
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Study: Dr Anja Stöhr studied in various retail environments how subtle scents and air quality (air design) subconsciously influence customer behaviour. Dwell time, rating, purchase intent and revenue were recorded in field measurements and controlled studies. It is one of the most comprehensive European works in this field.
- ✓︎Dwell time +15.9%
- ✓︎Purchase intent +14.8%
- ✓︎In individual cases, revenue increase of up to approx. 6%
- ✓︎Customers find the shop more comfortable and pleasant
- ✓︎Only works with subtle, suitable scents
One of the most important retail studies. It proves that strategically designed ambient scenting not only increases comfort but contributes concretely to sales performance.
More positive ratings
Subtle, suitable scents demonstrably lead to more positive store and product ratings.
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Study: in this fundamental retail study, the effect of ambient scent on perceived quality was analysed in a controlled test environment. Because confounding factors were excluded, the pure influence of the scent on customer satisfaction and subjective waiting time could be determined objectively.
- ✓︎Products were rated significantly more positively
- ✓︎The shop was perceived as higher quality and more pleasant
- ✓︎Visitors estimated their waiting time as shorter
- ✓︎Congruent scents had the strongest effect
- ✓︎The scent did not have to be consciously perceived
Fundamental evidence that subtle scents act directly on perception and evaluation in retail.
A stronger shopping experience
Well-designed ambient scenting immediately raises the overall impression and perceived quality of a sales floor.
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Study: Chebat & Michon (2003) carried out a field study on the effect of subtle aromas in a busy shopping centre. The study shows that the right ambient scent significantly enhances the atmosphere and perceived quality of a commercial space.
- ✓︎The shop is perceived as higher quality
- ✓︎Customers rate the atmosphere more positively
- ✓︎Scent improves the overall impression of the space
- ✓︎Low intensity works best
Ideal for spaces where first impression and atmosphere are decisive: fashion, lifestyle and premium retail.
Higher product ratings through simple scents
Simple, instantly recognisable scents lead to significantly higher product ratings in retail than complex blends.
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Study: the research shows that consumers subconsciously prefer uncomplicated aromas. Because the brain processes simple scents faster (processing fluency), a more pleasant shopping experience results, which translates directly into higher purchase intent.
- ✓︎Simple scents increase product ratings
- ✓︎Complex blends perform worse
- ✓︎Processing fluency is the central mechanism
- ✓︎Effect strongest in emotion-driven categories
Confirms our principle: less is more. Subtle, uncluttered scents are more effective in retail.
Better mood & atmosphere
Carefully tuned scents immediately improve mood and increase the overall rating of the space.
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Study: a classic study from 1995 examined the direct relationship between ambient scent and the emotional state of customers. The result was clear: a congruent, restrained scent lifts the mood, making the space feel much more welcoming.
- ✓︎Customers report a better mood
- ✓︎The space is perceived as friendlier
- ✓︎Congruent scents have a stronger effect
- ✓︎Restrained intensity is more effective
Important for spaces where emotion and atmosphere are central – from fashion to boutiques.
Seasonal effect
A seasonal scent only enhances the experience and purchase intention if it matches the current season.
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Study: Doucé & Janssens (2013) analysed how mood scents – such as a subtle Christmas scent – steer consumer behaviour at peak times. The study underlines the need for congruence: an aroma only brings commercial benefit if it exactly matches customers' subconscious expectations.
- ✓︎Stronger experience of atmosphere with seasonally congruent scents
- ✓︎Higher purchase intention during the Christmas season
- ✓︎Unsuitable scents show no effect
- ✓︎Restraint is crucial
For spaces with seasonal peaks, scent is an effective atmospheric tool – provided it fits and remains subtle.
Scent marketing in hospitality: the indispensable foundation of the guest experience
Here too, fit is decisive: scent marketing is most effective when the chosen scents are a seamless extension of interior, target group and brand identity.
More positive emotions in the hotel room
A subtle lavender aroma measurably increases the well-being of overnight guests.
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Study: in this study, the emotional state of 99 participants was analysed using facial recognition software. This made it possible to capture even the smallest subconscious shifts in positive responses between a scented and a neutral hotel room.
- ✓︎The group in the lavender room showed significantly higher satisfaction scores
- ✓︎General emotional valence was higher in the scented room
- ✓︎The rooms were perceived as more pleasant
- ✓︎Most participants did not explicitly name the scent – the effect was largely subconscious
A subtle, suitable scent in the hotel room enhances guests' emotional experience without coming to the fore itself.
Atmosphere and behaviour in the hotel
Scent is an essential part of the overall servicescape and directly influences the guest's sense of comfort.
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Study: in Crafting the Service Environment, J. Wirtz describes how physical environmental stimuli – scent, light and acoustics – must work together to create a coherent guest experience. Scent marketing is classed as a strategic prerequisite for brand experience and customer satisfaction.
- ✓︎Scent works together with light, music and materials as a whole
- ✓︎A well-designed servicescape increases comfort, satisfaction and intention to return
- ✓︎Incongruent or overly strong scents disrupt the overall experience
- ✓︎Scent belongs in the hotel concept as an integral part
Scent in a hotel must never be considered in isolation: it belongs to the entire spatial and brand experience, from the lobby through the corridor to the room.
Longer dwell time in the restaurant
A relaxing lavender scent extends guests' dwell time and indirectly increases spending.
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Study: the researchers tested the effect of different aromas by distributing them in a dining room on different evenings. The measurements showed that the calming effect of lavender subconsciously invited guests to stay longer – which was reflected directly in a higher bill.
- ✓︎Lavender led to longer dwell time than lemon and the control group
- ✓︎Guests spent more in the lavender condition
- ✓︎Citrus scent showed no significant effect compared with the control
- ✓︎The relaxing character of lavender plays the key role
For restaurants, cafés and hotel restaurants, this is direct evidence that a calming scent can increase revenue per table.
Ambient scenting in healthcare: less tension, more attention
Less acute anxiety in the waiting room
An ambient scent in the waiting area significantly reduces patients' acute anxiety.
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Study: Lehrner and colleagues investigated in a real waiting area how an ambient scent affects patients' state of anxiety and mood. Standardised anxiety scores and subjective well-being before treatment were recorded.
- ✓︎Acute anxiety was significantly lower in the scent condition
- ✓︎The mood of those waiting was more positive overall
- ✓︎The effect occurred without medication
For waiting areas in practices, clinics and dental practices, direct evidence that ambient scenting is more than atmosphere – it measurably reduces tension.
Emergency department: friendlier encounters
Warmer scents supported friendlier social encounters and reduced tension in everyday hospital life.
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Study: in the waiting areas of two emergency departments, warm, calming scents – such as vanilla and fig – were used to reduce the natural tension among patients and companions and create a softer atmosphere.
- ✓︎Visitors rated the staff as friendlier and more helpful
- ✓︎Staff found contact with patients calmer
- ✓︎The build-up of tension in the waiting areas decreased noticeably
Shows how scent can positively steer human interaction and reduce stress in highly complex, emotional care situations.
Ambient scenting for offices and education: maximum concentration and higher productivity
Restraint is the key: a low, pleasant intensity leads to the measurably best results in cognitive tasks, productivity and job satisfaction.
Typing faster and more accurately
A subtle peppermint aroma increases speed and lowers the error rate in office work.
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Study: in an office experiment (2003), participants performed intensive data and typing tasks under two conditions: with peppermint aroma and without scent. The activating scent profile not only increased net performance but also led to a noticeably more motivated attitude to work.
- ✓︎Higher gross typing speed
- ✓︎Higher net speed (speed without errors)
- ✓︎Fewer errors
- ✓︎More focus and task motivation
Highly relevant for offices, back offices and administrative teams: subtle peppermint leads to objectively better results in typing, data and screen work.
Better concentration & memory performance
Peppermint increases alertness and improves memory performance in demanding cognitive tasks.
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Study: for this study (2008), 144 participants in an office environment were assigned to different scent conditions and performed complex logic and memory tasks. A fresh peppermint scent activated mental alertness, leading to objectively better scores and sharper concentration.
- ✓︎Better memory performance with peppermint
- ✓︎Higher alertness and reaction speed
- ✓︎Ylang-ylang was more calming, but slowed performance
Supports the use of peppermint in working and learning environments where focus and mental clarity come first.
Rosemary versus lavender in the workplace
Rosemary sharpens memory, lavender calms – but slows working memory.
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Study: Moss, Cook, Wesnes & Duckett (2003) had participants perform cognitive tasks under three conditions: rosemary, lavender and no scent. Mood was recorded alongside performance, making the difference between activating and calming aromas clear.
- ✓︎Rosemary → better memory performance and higher alertness
- ✓︎Lavender → calmer, but slower processing in working memory
- ✓︎Both scents changed mood measurably
Choose the scent according to the function of the room: rosemary or peppermint in concentration areas, lavender in break and quiet rooms – never the other way round.
A dose-response relationship rather than placebo
There is a demonstrable relationship between scent concentration and the accuracy of cognitive performance.
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Study: after rosemary exposure, Moss & Oliver (2012) measured the concentration of 1,8-cineole in participants' blood and compared it with their results in arithmetic tasks. This demonstrated the effect not only behaviourally but also physiologically.
- ✓︎Higher blood concentration went hand in hand with faster and more accurate performance
- ✓︎The effect occurred without participants naming the scent
- ✓︎Supports a dose-response relationship rather than a placebo effect
Confirmed: it is not a matter of suggestion – the dosing really works. That is why we set the intensity precisely per zone via the Smart Control App.
Duft und Verhalten: saubere Luft führt zu saubererem Verhalten
Less litter and greater perceived safety
A well-kept scent increases perceived social safety and reduces litter left behind.
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Study: in a field study on trains, researchers measured how passengers rated a carriage with and without a subtle, fresh scent. Alongside perception, the litter left behind was also counted, demonstrating the effect on actual behaviour – not just on perception.
- ✓︎Passengers rated the carriage as cleaner and better kept
- ✓︎Perceived social safety increased
- ✓︎Measurably less litter was left behind
For car parks, metro stations and public spaces, direct evidence that scent is a facility investment with a measurable return.
A clean scent evokes clean behaviour
A barely perceptible citrus scent reminiscent of cleaning subconsciously encourages tidy behaviour.
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Study: Holland, Hendriks & Aarts (2005) distributed a barely perceptible citrus scent from a cleaning product in a test room. Participants were asked to eat a biscuit; afterwards, researchers observed how many of them spontaneously cleared away their crumbs.
- ✓︎Participants in the scent condition cleared away their crumbs significantly more often
- ✓︎Cleaning-related words were recognised faster
- ✓︎The scent itself was not named as the reason for the behaviour
For washrooms, canteens and public spaces: where it smells clean, visitors behave more cleanly. This has a direct effect on your cleaning costs.
Fresh air and fairness
A fresh, clean scent increases willingness to act fairly and helpfully.
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Study: Liljenquist, Zhong & Galinsky (2010) investigated in two experiments whether a citrus-like, "clean" room scent steers social behaviour. Fairness in a trust game and willingness to contribute voluntarily to a good cause were measured.
- ✓︎Participants acted more fairly in the scent condition
- ✓︎They were more often willing to contribute voluntarily
- ✓︎The effect occurred without conscious perception of the scent
In environments where social behaviour matters – public spaces, public transport, schools – a clean scent contributes to more pleasant interaction.
Clean scent in stations & public zones
A clean scent increases comfort and improves attitudes towards other people in shared spaces.
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Study: research published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2022) on the influence of a clean ambient scent on comfort and social behaviour in shared public spaces.
- ✓︎Greater perceived comfort in shared workspaces, libraries and stations
- ✓︎More positive attitude and greater tolerance towards others in the space
- ✓︎Strong effects with a floral-musky clean scent
For stations, libraries and shared workspaces: a clean scent increases not only comfort but also how people treat one another.
What an unpleasant odour does to your credibility
Odour reaches us without a detour via reason, and that judgement is difficult to correct afterwards. We distinguish four types of odour nuisance – washroom, musty and damp, organic and smoke – each of which requires its own approach at the source.
Washroom odours
Ammonia compounds in toilet facilities and lifts.
Musty & damp
Basements, underground car parks and poorly ventilated areas.
Organic
Kitchen, waste and body odours in heavily used spaces.
Smoke
Tobacco smoke that settles in textiles and wall surfaces.
Questions about the research
Is scent marketing scientifically proven?
Yes. Scent marketing is one of the best-researched factors in environmental psychology. In retail, Dr Anja Stöhr measured 15.9% longer dwell time and 14.8% higher purchase intent. Spangenberg and colleagues showed that products are rated significantly more positively and that visitors estimate their waiting time as shorter. All studies are peer-reviewed and verifiable via DOI.
