Complementary Scents: Enhancing Commercial Spaces

From the first moment you enter a space, you get a certain feeling. The interior, the colors, the light, the music. It all comes together. Our sense of smell is often forgotten in this. The reaction to smell is always there, it is a reaction you cannot turn off. An appropriate or complementary scent can have a positive effect not only on you, but also on the visitors to your space. In fact, a pleasant environment has all sorts of commercial benefits. From creating a more pleasant shopping experience to influencing the buying behavior of your visitors. In this blog, I take a closer look at what complementary fragrances are and their benefits in a commercial space. I also share tips on how to maintain this positive effect.

What are complementary fragrances?

Complementary comes from the word complement, which literally means "to complete into a whole. Complementary fragrances are complementary to the space in which they are diffused. So it is not the composition of the fragrance itself that makes a space complementary or not, but how it fits and complements the other interior features. You can think about appropriate use of materials, use of light, interior style. For example, in a store interior that primarily incorporates wood, people often choose a woody scent composed of familiar woods, such as sandalwood and cedar, to create an overall experience in the space.

An example of complementary fragrance use is our "Home Stories" collaboration with Passe Partout. Four seasonal fragrances that match the distinctive atmosphere and all the components that interior designers incorporate in their showrooms.

What are the benefits of a complementary fragrance in a commercial space?

An appropriate ambient fragrance not only creates a pleasant effect. It also has benefits for a commercial space. Not because we say so, but because it has been shown by science in several studies that diffusing a complementary scent has benefits for a commercial space.

• Influence on buying behavior

  Research done by University of New South Wales in Sydney (2010) showed that when the scent matched the product, consumers spent more time on the product, as opposed to an unsuitable scent for products. A pleasant fragrance creates a positive feeling and can be a determining factor in consumer buying behavior.
  
  

• Better shopping experience

  In addition, complementary scent also enhances the shopping experience. Several studies in a simulated retail environment showed that good mood in a pleasant environment has a direct effect on the shopping experience. The result is better guest ratings and a longer stay in your store. In fact, a study by Erasmus University Rotterdam (2016) found that shoppers spent 30 percent more time in a store when the scent was appropriate compared to shoppers at a time without scent. Shoppers also thought they spent less time.

Also interesting: Science: 10 effects of fragrance on consumers

Complementary scent retention

Research thus shows that an appropriate fragrance produces more than just pleasing effects. But the effect may diminish and fade after some time, leaving you and your visitors "scent blind. This means that you and your visitors start to smell the fragrance less, with the result that the effect in the room is less. You avoid this by alternating with a similar scent. This service is included as standard in our fragrance subscriptions.

Do you still have questions about complementary fragrances? Or could you use some help putting a suitable complementary fragrance into practice? We'd love to think with you sometime!

Frequently asked questions

• What are complementary fragrances?
  A complementary fragrance is a scent that matches a space. That matches what you want a space to radiate. It makes the space a whole. An example of a complementary fragrance is a woody scent, such as Sandalwood, in an interior with many wooden elements. Adding an appropriate scent to your space creates multiple benefits. Do you use a complementary fragrance in a commercial space? Then the chances of sales are increased!