Retail atmospherics refers to anything inside of a retail environment that is intended to influence buyer behavior. This often includes the use of certain colors, designs, smells, lighting, or even music. For example, a coffee shop may play slower paced music to draw in their target crowd and entice people to stay and drink coffee. A grocery store might use the colors red and yellow to trigger the appetite and make people more likely to stop in and make a purchase. Most customers do not consciously notice these subtleties, but they are very effective.
The point of all of this is to engage all of the customers’ senses to entice them into making a purchase. Retail atmospherics are based upon the fundamentals of consumer psychology in terms of using triggers to tell people to make a purchase or to stay in the store.
The Benefits of Retail Atmospherics
Retail atmospherics helps retail stores have more influence over their customers to not only encourage spending, but to have them think of their brand in a certain way. Most retailer stores that use atmospherics often work with marketing and even psychological experts to create a cohesive brand experience and to ensure that they are using the best approach to target their ideal customers.
Although it sounds intuitive, it really does require an expert’s assistance to create the right effect. Some of the benefits from retail atmospherics are that more people may decide to make purchases, stay longer, and establish a personal connection to the brand or store overall.
Mobile Technology and Atmospherics
Mobile technology and retail atmospherics go hand in hand because businesses want to target consumers who are starting to use mobile more frequently to enhance their shopping experience. Mobile technology includes smartphones and tablets. Customers can use their mobile devices in the store to access special coupons, offers, discounts and loyalty programs. Many major retailers have mobile apps that allow customers to search for items within the store and receive discounts and coupons.
There is no one approach to retail atmospherics that works in all retail environments because these details are very specific to the brand and their customer demographics. In order to have an effective retail atmospherics program, it is recommended that retail stores work with an expert with a background in marketing and consumer behavior to create the right experience.
Photo by Flickr User jpellgen
