Research summary · Meta-analysis · 2020
Pleasant ambient scent and customer responses: a meta-analysis of 64 studies
Combining 671 measured effects from 64 studies, a pleasant ambient scent improved customer responses by 3% to 15% on average. Effects were strongest for familiar, single-aroma scents that fit the setting, and in service businesses. The average effect on spending alone was small and not statistically significant.
Reviewed by Simon Faure-Field · 7 October 2026 · Checked against the full text
At a glance
Key findings
- 3–15%average lift in customer responses such as satisfaction, recall and purchase intention when a pleasant scent was present.
- 671measured effects from 64 studies and 15,447 people, published between 1989 and 2018.
- +23%modelled rise in spending under the most favourable conditions, against about 3% in an average setting.
- 60–80%of people noticing the scent is where the effects levelled off: noticeable, but not overpowering.
The study
Citation and study details
Citation: Roschk, H., & Hosseinpour, M. (2020). Pleasant ambient scents: A meta-analysis of customer responses and situational contingencies. Journal of Marketing, 84(1), 125–145.
Read the original (open access): doi.org/10.1177/0022242919881137
- Study typeMeta-analysisPeer-reviewed, open access
- Sample64 studies, 15,447 people71 samples, 671 measured effects
- SettingRetail and service environmentsLaboratory and field studies, 1989–2018
- Evidence gradeD: review or meta-analysisQuantitative synthesis of experiments
Method
What the researchers did
The authors combined every ambient scent experiment they could find into one statistical analysis.
They set out to answer a question individual experiments could not settle: how much does a pleasant ambient scent change what customers feel, think and do, and under what conditions? They collected experiments published between 1989 and May 2018 that compared customers’ responses in a scented and an unscented shopping or service environment. To limit publication bias, they also searched for unpublished studies and contacted authors directly; 11% of the effects came from unpublished work.
The final database held 71 independent samples from 64 articles, covering 15,447 people and 671 measured effects. Two researchers independently rated each scent on how well it fitted the setting, whether it was a single aroma or a blend, and how familiar, pleasant and stimulating it was. Scent intensity was captured as the share of people in each study who noticed the scent. The authors then modelled which of these conditions made the effect of scent stronger or weaker.
Results
What they found
A pleasant scent lifted almost every customer response, modestly on average and much more under the right conditions.
Compared with no scent, a pleasant ambient scent produced small but statistically significant improvements in mood, evaluations of products and of the environment, shopping satisfaction, recall, the sense that time passed quickly, purchase intentions, willingness to recommend, and time spent in the space. On average these responses rose by between 3% and 15%. The largest effects were on recall of product information (about 11%) and shopping satisfaction (about 9%).
The average effect on spending was small (about 3%) and not statistically significant on its own. Scent influenced judgement and memory more than it influenced mood.
Effects were stronger when the scent fitted the setting and its products, was a single aroma rather than a blend, and was familiar to customers. They were also stronger in service settings than in retail, when samples included more women, and when no clashing music was playing. How pleasant or stimulating a scent was did not, on its own, predict a bigger effect. Effects grew as more people noticed the scent, then levelled off once roughly 60–80% of people detected it.
Using their model, the authors estimated that scent would raise spending by about 3% in an average setting, by up to 23% in the most favourable combination of conditions, and could reduce it by about 17% in the least favourable. They note that some industry claims, such as an 80% rise in purchase intent, fall outside what the research supports.
Limitations
Limitations
Mostly Western research, and the spending forecasts are modelled, not observed.
91% of samples came from Western countries (48% North America, 41% Europe) and the average participant was about 33 years old, so the results may not transfer directly to Asian markets or older customers. Because people learn which scents they like, the authors caution that their findings may not extend to other cultures.
The conditions the authors measured explained only part of the variation between studies. The +23% and −17% spending figures are model forecasts, not results observed in a single store.
The analysis covers pleasant scents only. The authors also point out that scent is not always beneficial: it can make negative moments, such as complaints or long waits, more memorable, and longer lingering is not always what a business wants.
A note on the evidence
How strong is this evidence?
Among the strongest evidence available on ambient scent.
This is a peer-reviewed meta-analysis in a leading marketing journal, combining three decades of controlled experiments. Its conclusions are only as strong as the studies it includes, most of which were small and run in Western countries, but it is the best single estimate of what ambient scent does in commercial spaces.
For commercial spaces
What it means for commercial spaces
The answer to “does ambient scent work?” is yes, modestly and conditionally. The choice and handling of the scent matter more than its mere presence: a single, familiar aroma that suits the space, at a level most people notice without being overpowered, and in harmony with any music playing. Effects were largest in service settings, which is relevant to hotels, clinics, banks, salons and other businesses where customers are served rather than simply browsing. Businesses in Asian markets should note that most of the underlying research was done elsewhere.
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How to cite this summary
Scent Swirl. (2026). Summary of Roschk & Hosseinpour (2020), Pleasant ambient scents: A meta-analysis of customer responses and situational contingencies. Scent Research Library. https://scentswirl.com/research/roschk-hosseinpour-2020-ambient-scent-meta-analysis/ (last reviewed 7 October 2026 by Simon Faure-Field).
This summary was checked against the full text of the original paper, linked above. If you spot an error or know of a study we should add, we would like to hear from you.
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