How Does Your Thrift Store Smell?
It Matters
It matters.
Companies like Cinnabon and Starbucks are experts at smells. Walk into many department stores and you will be assailed by designer fragrances.
“Most people are processing it at an unconscious level, but it is impacting them,” says Eric Spangenberg, a pioneer in the field and dean of the Washington State University College of Business.
Smell is one more piece of a customer's shopping experience. With thrift in particular it’s important to combat potential thrift smells that are part of receiving and selling second-hand goods.
Walk in a tire store and the smell of tires is reassuring. Walk in a bakery and that smell of bread and ingredients feels good. Walk in a Starbucks and you need your coffee hit even more. Walk in a thrift store… and?
What should a thrift store smell like? More importantly, what shouldn’t a thrift store smell like?
If you work in thrift I don’t have to mention how raw donations sometimes smell.
People spent about 20% more with a simple orange scent
The best weapons in Thrift
Quality goods on the floor make a huge difference. Especially in textiles, well cared for donated goods are least likely to have a used smell.
Empower processors and donation attendants to toss smelly goods. That donation that spent too long in a damp basement or musty attic shouldn’t even be mixed in with salvage goods. One bag of smelly clothing can contaminate a whole batch of good donated goods.
Febreze each rack of textiles going to the floor helps keep fresh smells going to the sales floor.
Shoes can be problematic. Some sprays can be applied in shoes to alleviate those smells. This can be especially helpful in the summertime.
One of the best defenses is an automated aerosol scented spray system throughout the store. Cintas and others have offerings that address these needs.
“There are other reasons why certain scents may encourage people to shop. Simple scents are the most effective, according to a 2012 Washington State University and the University of St. Gallen, Spengenberg in Switzerland study published in the Journal of Retailing. Analyzing the spending of 400 shoppers over 18 days in a home-decorations store, people spent about 20% more with a simple orange scent instead of a more complicated orange-basil blended with green tea. The former scent was just enough to make them feel good, but not too pungent to distract them from the task at hand: shopping.”
In Conclusion
Proactively managing store scents makes for more pleasant shopping experiences, creates a more positive work environment, and improves sales.
about me
I am a thrift, e-commerce, and retail business expert located near Chicago helping individuals and entrepreneurs grow and succeed. You can benefit from my twenty plus years of retail, and seven-plus years of thrift and eCommerce experience.
Check out my web site, thethrifter.com for lots of thrift oriented resources. You will find plenty of free tips for retailers, resellers, eCommerce operators, and shoppers. I’m always happy to connect on LinkedIn.
You might also be interested in my Thrift Merchandising ebook on Amazon. It’s about merchandising thrift stores more like traditional stores. It’s free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
Tim Gebauer — The Thrifter