Retail displays that appeal to the senses

By appealing to the senses, retailers can capture the attention of consumers and turn them into loyal customers.

This article takes a look at the 5 best ways to appeal to the senses in retail.

Why should retailers appeal to the senses?

Retailers that fail to appeal to shoppers’ senses will miss out on business. Simply put, we use our five senses to explore, meaning anything that captures our attention will have appealed to at least one of our senses.

Dr. L.D. Rosenblum, Dr. Harold Stolovitch and Dr. Erica Keeps, explain the breakdown of how we use our five senses to explore information.

• 83.0% – Sight
• 11.0% – Hearing
• 3.5% – Smell
• 1.5% – Touch
• 1.0% – Taste

How to appeal to the senses in retail

We will now explore the 5 best ways to appeal to the senses in retail.

1. Put thought into lighting

With sight being a determining factor in the way we explore retail stores, lighting plays a key role. It is worth investing into the right types of lighting to create a positive, enjoyable instore experience.

Top tips include:

• Use lighting to create an ambience
• Make sure all products are visible
• Use uplighting to draw attention to specific areas
• Light specific displays to encourage sales
• Consider accent lighting

2. Introduce music

Music is a fantastic way to enhance customers’ shopping experiences. Make sure the music you choose is suitable for your target market.

Top tips include:

• Have plenty of songs so it’s not repetitive for customers or staff
• Create playlists that appeal to your target market
• Make sure the sound quality is good
• Don’t have the music too loud or too quiet

3. Consider scent

Many retailers benefit from scenting their premises, whether this is with diffusers, scented products instore, or air fresheners. 

Top tips include:

• Make sure it’s not too overpowering
• Be careful to not go for a scent that is ‘hit-and-miss’
• Consider varying the scent, for example, having a Christmas scent that is different to a more fruity summer scent

4. Encourage people to touch your products

Nothing gives shoppers more confidence in a product than being able to try them before they make a purchase.

Ask yourself whether you’d feel more comfortable buying a hoover that you could test instore, or one that you couldn’t remove from a box? This is why interaction is so important and displays can easily cater to this.

Top tips include:

• Create displays designed to encourage interaction with products
• Have sample products available
• Keep certain items unpackaged so people can explore them

5. Include tasters if relevant

Not every business will have edible products instore, however those that do can benefit from allowing shoppers to taste before they buy. As well as helping them to identify their favourite foods, this is a great way to create a memorable instore experience that will keep shoppers coming back.

Top tips include:

• Create a taster station
• Offer small versions of products, such as chocolates
• Use signage to advertise the fact shoppers can taste items
• Have chatty staff on hand to share information about each item
• Retailers that don’t sell food or drink could still offer a complimentary coffee as part of the experience

Learn more about appealing to the senses in retail

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Looking to level-up your instore design?

Now you know how to appeal to the senses, check out our guide to visual merchandising to upgrade your instore design and impress your target market.