LEXINGTON, Ky. — According to a University of Kentucky researcher, the subtle sights, sounds and scents that customers encounter in stores are far more influential than most shoppers realize, shaping everything from how long they linger to how much they spend.

Corinne Hassler, an assistant professor of marketing at the Gatton College of Business and Economics, is studying how retailers can use sensory interventions to influence consumer behavior while also serving customers better. Her work focuses on a crucial finding: many of these environmental nudges operate below the level of conscious awareness.

"These things influence what consumers do most of the time subconsciously," Hassler said. "The scent in the store, the music in the store—they're happening in the background. Most consumers aren't paying attention to them, but there's a ton of research that shows that these things do nudge them to behave in certain ways."

The implications are significant. Research demonstrates strong connections between sensory elements and consumer behavior: how long shoppers stay in a store correlates directly with how much they ultimately purchase. The same sensory cues that extend shopping time also influence which products customers select.

Through the university's CURATE program, which funds research beyond controlled laboratory settings, Hassler was able to conduct field tests in actual retail environments rather than relying solely on academic simulations. In one study conducted in an electronics retailer, her team found that sensory elements carry gendered associations that influence how different customers perceive a space—findings with direct business applications.

Her international collaboration includes researchers from Arizona State University, ESCP Business School, Karlstad University and BI Norwegian Business School. The research examined psychological mechanisms underlying consumer responses to sensory stimuli, revealing insights that extend beyond laboratory conditions into real-world retail.

For retailers seeking to broaden their customer base, these findings underscore an important principle: even stores traditionally designed for specific demographics must recognize that they serve diverse customers with varying preferences. "They have to figure out how to better serve, because they want all of their business," Hassler said.