Part of the K Group, the second-largest grocery trade operator in Finland and one of the largest in Northern Europe, K-Supermarket operates 250 stores offering customers a high-end in-store experience with a carefully selected range of local produce and specialties. At K-Supermarket Hertta, Helsinki, Markus Ranne, the independent merchant who runs the store, decided to elevate the experience further with the use of sensory marketing – a combination of scent and sound design to attract customers and encourage them to linger.

He called on Helsinki-based sensory marketing specialists Sevende Aromas to design the environment – for which they specified Genelec 4000 Series installation loudspeakers.

‘Sounds can affect people’s comfort and shopping behaviour in most commercial spaces and environments such as supermarkets, hotels, offices, bars and restaurants. The sense of hearing is our third most dominant sense,’ explains Sevende Aromas founder and CEO, Eero Niskanen.

‘Studies have shown that the right kind of sound environment can increase sales by up to 30 per cent and it also has a positive effect on the work efficiency of employees. When it comes to scent design, research tells us that customers stay up to 40 per cent longer in a fragrant environment. Fragrance is therefore an important part of branding. K-Supermarket Hertta was keen to incorporate both elements as part of the commercial strategy.’

Sound designer Aki Päivärinne explains that the brief was to create a relaxed and immersive sound space for the newly renovated fresh fruit and vegetable section, and stereophonic sound for the candy department. ‘This was an inspiring task since I had also created the previous monophonic sound design for the store, including the beer and beverages department,’ he says.

‘In my work I use a variety of computer programs, including electro-acoustic modelling software. In this instance, as the speaker setup in the fruit and veg department is not symmetrical, I created a model of the space within the software to calculate the delay times required for realistic 3D sound images.’

The set-up comprises 12 Genelec 4030 loudspeakers evenly spaced above the refrigerator elements or suspended from the ceiling, while eight 4020s grace the drinks section and a further four are deployed in the candy section. These are complemented by eight strategically placed fragrance machines, which deliver the scent experience. Control comes courtesy of a QSC Q-Sys Core 110f processor with a touch screen interface for managing level control across the various zones.

‘To develop the soundscape for the fruit and veg area, I started by imagining some kind of surreal colorful fruit-world,’ Päivärinne continues. ‘I started hearing the lush forests, distant animals, shifting weather patterns, poetic saxophone phrases, light and sea and harmonic clouds overhead – creating a relaxing and safe feeling. After the first listening I made some small adjustments to the dynamics of the material, which now sounds fantastic.

‘I have worked with Genelec loudspeakers in various projects over the past ten years or so, and have always enjoyed using them,’ he adds. ‘In this instance the 4000 Series offered a high quality, reliable solution for creating an immersive soundscape. They also look good, which is a bonus.’

Combined with the scent design provided by Sevende Aromas – who also handled systems integration – the results show a marked impact on sales, proven by a study conducted by Helsinki University. ‘The study compared the results of sensory marketing against thse of a similarly-sized supermarket using traditional marketing techniques,’ notes Niskanen. ‘The supermarket using sensory marketing was more successful in every respect, customer satisfaction levels were considerably higher.’

The impact of sensory marketing is not only measured by an immediate increase in sales. Positive perceptions of where to buy help build a lasting and loyal customer relationship over the longer term.

‘We used quality scents and worked with a talented sound designer to create an alluring soundscape,’ Niskanen says. ‘The soundscape uses a combination of natural sounds and musical elements. For it to be truly immersive it’s important that it sounds realistic; this is why we opted for a high quality audio solution based on Genelec loudspeakers, which deliver detailed, transparent sound even at low levels. There is no doubt that Genelec played a major role in the outcome.’

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