In the face of a sluggish economy and
decreased consumer spending, a growing number of retailers are beating the odds by infusing their establishments
with a synthetic human pheromone designed to stimulate sales. Originally contracted to design a specialized
pheromone compound for use by a major Las Vegas casino, Vancouver-based Enhanced Air Technologies (EAT) is
pioneering the field. The firm has released its Commercaire (
www.commercaire.com) pheromone, a powerful
compound that causes consumers to feel a subconscious sense of comfort and security, which in turn causes them to
stay longer and ultimately spend more.
"The compound doesn't cause consumers to get into a spending frenzy
so much as it causes them feel more at ease in an environment and more receptive to sales messages," says Nigel
Malkin, Director of Development. Consumers also tend to return more frequently to establishments infused with
Commercaire. "At a subconscious level, the sense of comfort and security instilled by the compound causes consumers
to have positive memories of any environment in which they are exposed to it. They're more likely to return as a
result," says Malkin.
Commercaire is suspended in a gel that evaporates into the air over time with the aid of
EAT's air distribution systems. Although Commercaire is unscented, EAT has produced scented 'private label'
versions of its product for four major retailers. "Our air distribution systems provided a solution for dispersing
our clients' branded scents more effectively," says Malkin.
Bookmarks