Saturday, March 29, 2014

Let's study the Shopping Science!

Taken from Under A Veil




Red is a color that motivates me and invites me to take action, no wonder why it's chosen to represent the SALE seasons, it's always a good sign when the price tag is red, it doesn't matter if the reduction was 30% 50% or a ridiculous one Euro I only feel an itchiness in my hands that incites me to spend it all. This is just one of the tricks brands do to attract more consumers, other methods consist in controlling our senses. Music for example is an excellent way to make you stay more longer inside the stores, the more you enjoy the melody the more you want to buy up (They should ban Ellie Goulding's song Burn).

A few months ago, I read a revealing article titled 'The Science of Shopping' in COMPANY magazine (December 2013), where the writer Sophie Cullinane explained very well the phenomenon of scent-sensational shopping. She wrote "Out of all the senses, it's our sense of smell that the fashion industry is targeting -with good reason. Studies show that as humans we remember 5% of what we see, 2% of what we hear, and 1% of what we touch, compared to a massive 35% of what we smell."

This should clearly demonstrate why Jane (Ashley Judd) in the movie "Someone like you" wanted to voluntarily make herself anosmatic. She tried to convince her doctor that every time she smells fresh laundry and vanilla she remembers how happy she was with her ex, so she decided to get rid of the most powerful sense hoping that she 'might actually have a chance of living a semi-normal life someday'. It may seem nuts to a lot of people, but I have to say I respect her choice because no matter how old our memories are, an insignificant smell can sweep out our emotions and turn our world upside down.

Which brings me to my last visit to Malaga (Spain) two months ago, the only thing I remember very clearly is the beautiful smell from Lush. The air had a sweet and fruity fragrance coming from all kinds of handmade products, I didn't care about their shapes nor their colors not even the display, It was like walking into an enchanted forest, where the trees were made from chocolate, the clouds were from marshmallow and the flowers were from candies. Obviously, I couldn't just keep staring I had to do something, buying was the most logical action to make at that time, therefore I chose a solid shampoo that promised to give my hair a new look, which -btw- I confirm after several applications. If my twin sister didn't take pictures of our stop by Lush I wouldn't remember a bit about this visit, except from the captivating flavors.








Which of your senses influences more your shopping list?

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