He November 11 It’s Singles’ Day and there are plenty of deals to whet your Black Friday appetite. We know this well, but let’s not forget that before these very modern dates arose on the eleventh day of this month, bookstore day. It’s a great date to stroll around one of those charming establishments we love so much. But be careful, because it is almost impossible to leave empty-handed.
Readers really enjoy these kinds of outings and often, when they want to treat themselves, they take the opportunity to purchase another copy for their books. private shelves. But sometimes, even if they firmly believe that they are not buying anything, they end up buying something. This may be due to simple literary devotion, but also because bookstores have their own tricks to hook their customers. Just like in any store, actually.
Music, colors or scents These are incentives that are often used to get us to buy without even realizing it. Bookstores often use scents. But not only that book smell that we all love so much. And also some much more unexpected flavors.
Smell and the ability to record emotions
Information from almost all senses passes through a structure known as thalamuswhere it undergoes first analysis before entering the brain. The only feeling a person doesn’t go through with this at first checkpoint It’s the smell. This has a direct connection to the brain. From its receivers, signals arrive directly to olfactory bulb, an area of the brain located very close to the hippocampus and amygdala. These other structures serve many functions, but they primarily stand out for their ability to record memories and regulate emotions.
All this is important in the field marketingbecause aromas are the best stimuli for evoke emotions and bring back beautiful memories. Proust already said this when he mentioned how a simple madeleine dipped in tea made him quickly transport himself back to the happy moments of his childhood.
But smells evoke more than just pleasant memories. You need to know how to handle them because they can also be associated with unpleasant emotions. Or also to positive, but recent emotions. For example, a smell can lead us to form a habit. The smell of a friend’s perfume can remind us of her, or the smell of damp earth can take us back to a recent trip out of town.
Be that as it may, companies know this. In fact, there are more and more of them olfactory logos. These are the company’s unique scents that are used to further sensationalize the brand and leave an imprint in the minds of consumers. In Spain, for example, we see this in Stradivarius stores. They all smell the same, and we immediately recognize this aroma.
But there are also specific scents that can be used to shape consumer behavior. There are studies that show that the smell of aromatic herbssuch as thyme or rosemary can encourage consumers to purchase healthier ingredients for their dishes.
All this can be extrapolated to many establishments and, of course, bookstores are no exception.
What’s happening in bookstores?
A very interesting study was conducted in 2013. the smell in bookstores. It was noticed that chocolate aroma This encouraged consumers to buy more books. But there was something interesting. The fact is that, although purchases in general have increased, those related to cookbooks or romance novels.
The first is understandable, but why romance novels? It is not entirely clear, although there are certain hypotheses. Novels of this type are often associated with the comfortable feeling of reading at home, with a blanket and a cup of chocolate. In fact, a similar effect was observed with the smell of coffee, another drink that is also very common during these self-care moments.

Since this study was published, several other similar studies have been conducted. similar results. Purchases of this type of book increased by 40%. Although it is also true that there is a study that did not give the same result. In fact, he found no difference between using chocolate flavor or any other flavor in particular. However, it should be borne in mind that this was done in bookstores-cafeterias. Since the aroma of coffee and chocolate is already present, it is logical that with artificial addition you will not notice much of a difference.
On the other hand, some perfume companies insist that it is important for booksellers to use scents that attract customers. There is talk of scents that add nuance to the smell of paper and ink so common in bookstores. It’s important to keep in mind that this is not the case in first-hand bookstores. the smell of old library books. However, the smell of a new book with new paper, ink and stickers is also very attractive.
Smells of books
In 1974 Ohio library developed an interesting project in which the importance the smell in bookstores. They contained a catalog with cards of different scents, from apple to chocolate, including garlic, lemon, rose, beer, leather, pizza, orange, strawberry, candle, pine, cheddar cheese, clover and smoke.

The goal was to let library visitors smell the cards and, having chosen the scent they liked, move on to the book indicated on them. That is, each book was assigned a smell to add that other sensation to the reading experience.
It was a well received project. However, over time, the cards began to lose their scent and, although they are still in the library today, no longer used. One thing is clear: smell and reading make a very good pair. If you can’t help but buy something from your favorite bookstores, blame them.
Source: Hiper Textual
