Scents and Sensibility

You might call it muzak for the nose. The latest technique for putting consumers in a spending mood is to fill the air with a seductive scent. That's why Select Comfort, a nationwide chain of 400 bedding stores, is in the market for one that will soothe shoppers browsing for bedding. ScentAir, one of several firms that design scents for retail settings, has suggested a mix of cashmere wood, amber, cardamom, cinnamon and bergamot. The blend, it says, will convey quiet repose.

From an article titled Scents and Sensibility in TIME magazine, which talks about using scents to "affect a shopper's behavior". While I'm not too sure how I feel about being conveyed into "quite repose" or into anything else by custom-designed scents, the whole idea of scents affecting people so powerfully is quite interesting.

We all notice if someone smells good. Conversely we also notice if someone's overdosed on perfume or hasn't had a bath for a wee while. But are we always aware of it? Here's a question for you - when you met your significant other / best friend, did you notice the way they smelled? Ever been attracted to someone because they smelled so darn good?