The ploy behind the bakery's “hot croissant smell”

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This sweet scent of warm bread doesn't have to be as natural as you might think ... 

Who has never cracked, at dawn, “by the enticing smell”, at the baker's siren song? The aroma perfectly embodies morning comfort and seems to offer those who submit to temptation the strength to face the day that begins. Unfortunately, its origin is not always very natural.

Relatively little-known stratagem

Indeed, while certain decorative devices no longer necessarily seek to conceal their “strings”, this commercial ploy is still relatively unknown to the general public. If the choice is debated within the profession, especially among craftsmen, some have adopted it definitively, reports, supporting testimonies, the drafting of Vice. But few brands still dare to admit it openly. 

“Perfumes of all types”

The method is not the prerogative of the Viennese pastries department. Restaurant managers and food industry players sometimes use this illusion technique to attract customers and boost their profitability. A French benchmark in this area, the Lyon- based company  Emosens  “offers perfumes for all types of shops, from opticians, shopping centers to chocolate makers ”, and even “tailor-made”, says Vice. 

“Marketing is manipulation”

“The objective is to make the visit more pleasant for the customer. The customer will stay longer in the store and we increase the chances of consumption ”, affirms, without shame, Stéphane Arfi, CEO of Emosens. Buyer manipulation? The entrepreneur fully assumes: “I claim this manipulation, the very definition of marketing is manipulation,” he confides.