Smelling good to do good

The latest retail chain to use scent marketing is not an upscale department store; it’s Goodwill Stores. The non-profit has hired Prolitec to scent over 40 stores in Wisconsin and Illinois, after they successfully tested the concept in four stores.

The stores will use a signature scent consisting of sweet orange and honeysuckle, designed to create a crisp, clean ambiance. Research has shown that a pleasant ambient scent results in consumers spending more time, and ultimately more money in a store. In the case of Goodwill, the nice smell is part of a plan to raise more money for the charity and those it serves.