Look out for aromatic marketing at a mall near you. Corporations and retail gurus are homing in on the fragrances that send you reaching for your wallet.
Sweet Sneaks
Footlocker may soon break out the scented candles. A study financed by Nike found most people are more willing to purchase shoes—and pay a higher price—if the room smells like flowers.
Home Cooking
Real estate agents butter up potential homebuyers with the smell of freshly baked treats. Wendy Allen, a Century 21 agent in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says she often bakes a pie or cookies just before an open house. "The scent gives everybody a good feeling," she says. "It smells like home."
Luck Be a Lilac?
Gamblers at the Las Vegas Hilton Casino spent 50 percent more time playing slot machines when the space was perfumed with a floral scent than when it smelled like an everyday casino. The stronger the fragrance, the longer individuals gambled.
