What Online Shopping NEVER Gives

Humans are created with five natural senses (and some, like a 'fifth' sense, or "nonsense" we aren't discussing here!)  Non-Store shoppers browsing magazines, papers, catalogs or text and images on-line, are using ONE sense:  SIGHT.  It's the most important one for sure, and that is why everything Today's Displays does begins with VISUAL!  I say VMP is what you see. 

Non-Store shoppers listening to phone soliciting, are also only using ONE sense: SOUND. So anything visual here is totally related to what you are visualizing when listening. Videos and face time add the sense of SOUND and when added to the SIGHT influences us even more. This is when watching TV, audio/visual ads on line, or even a non-interactive product presentation in a store or at a trade show exhibit.   

I think it's hilarious the antics actors go through on TV to try and describe what something smells like, tastes like, or feels like.  The ad agencies have to come up with ways to make you believe that peanut butter tastes like the first time each time, challenging you to go buy a jar and see if that's true.  Another favorite of mine is the 'nose blind' ads, or those for laundry freshening products.  I wonder when we will have Smell-a-vision, Taste-a-vision, and Touch-a-vision!  Right now they can only use what we see and hear to influence our motivations. 
 
As an Independent RETAILER, you have the chance to appeal to ALL FIVE senses.  You can add the other THREE senses to SIGHT and SOUND in a bricks 'n mortar shopping experience. Examples are:

• Add  a mood enhancing fragrance into your store, 
• Encourage shoppers to touch and try on items appealing to them, *
• Invite shoppers to test samples of foods or fragrances,
• Demonstrate products that move or animate in any way,  
• Offer beverages to enjoy while shopping, even a small bottle of water. 

* During the current crisis (COVID)  I did a regular shift in a gift shop.  As soon as shoppers entered the store, I would point to the hand sanitizer and tell them, "As long as your hands are sanitized, feel free to touch and or try on items.  All we ask is that if you chose not to purchase an item, please bring it to us so we can isolate it and return it to the rack after quarantine."  Most customers thanked me and said, "I was wondering about that."  

We sold tons of masks and I became the expert mask fitter!  We had five vendors who supplied masks and the all worked differently.  Letting  shoppers know they could try on the masks was huge. All we asked was that they didn't put the ones unpurchased back on the rack, but to bring them to us.  By the end of the day, there was a little pile of unsold masks waiting to be sanitized. This made everyone feel safer and happier with their purchases.  We also sold more masks and the word began to get around town. 
 
If you sell beauty and health products, the fragrance you want is different than if you sell food items, or garments.  Some seasons lend themselves to  smells that are traditional and familiar, such as pine, or cinnamon at Christmas, with hot apple cider being offered to shoppers with ginger cookies. 
 
As a sales rep for a company, I once called on an upholstery shop that was located between a salon and a fast food chicken place.  When I walked in I immediately reacted to the smell of fried chicken and fries mixed with the small of perm solution.  Because in their industry that was just their workshop and they called on customers to show samples and give quotes,  they didn't feel the need to relocate!
 
Words of WARNING:  

• Don't MIX fragrances from air fresheners, or scented products.  Be careful how many scented products you have open and watch for shoppers responses if it's too strong.  I once helped a client change up their store and by the time we had opened up three sets of candle tapers with strong scents we had to stop.  Since the tapers were packaged in pairs, with the wicks joined, and we wanted to showcase then in beautiful candlesticks, we just wrapped the opened display candles in plastic wrap to reduce the strong competing scents.  

 
(Side note: you will sell on average 20% more of what you take out of the package and display!  And you also reduce the temptation from shoppers to open the box to see what's inside!)  Don't use strong smelling cleaners on your floors or fixtures that smell like disinfectants. 

• Don't MIX sounds. If you sell music provide shoppers with headphones if you also have store-wide background music.  If you provide a children's play area that's showing cartoons, don't have the volume competing with the music you are playing for adult shoppers. If you sell home theater products, TVs and Sound systems establish guidelines for demonstrating the volumes and adjustments to sound. 

Pay attention to creating the right mood by appealing to all the senses and enhance the shopping experience.  Check out all our products and resources for what they see!  VMP is what you see. Realize that the live, in person shopping experience is still the best when it comes to SIGHT, SOUND, TASTE, TOUCH, and SMELL.  

The bank I frequent from time to time offers cookies and coffee or water to those standing in line. At that moment they are 'soothing the senses' which is what our featured article this week is all about.  Check out the FREE article: Soothing the Senses
http://www.todaysdisplays.ca/assets/Soothing_the_Senses52200.pdf