The effect of crossmodal congruency between ambient scent and the store environment on consumer reactions

Abstract

Previous research found that ambient scents used by retailers should be pleasant and product congruent. This paper proposes that an ambient scent should also be crossmodally congruent with the store environment. Crossmodal congruency refers to the shared crossmodal correspondences (i.e., tendency of a sensory attribute to be associated with an attribute in another sense) of the ambient scent and the store environment. In this study, a scent crossmodally congruent with the store, a scent crossmodally incongruent with the store and a no scent condition were compared. Results revealed that crossmodal congruency between store and ambient scent leads to higher approach behaviour. Furthermore, positive effects were found when comparing the congruent scent with the no scent condition on pleasure, store (environment) evaluation, and word-of-mouth. It is therefore proposed to include crossmodal congruency between ambient scent and store environment as a criteria when selecting an ambient scent.