Good smells will bring customers in...

[ICP]

This past weekend I was walking around a very popular outdoor shopping quarter in Sarasota, Florida. In this relatively small shopping area there were about 5 different ice cream shops all competing for foot traffic customers. I personally wasn't even hungry for ice cream when .. bam... I was hit with the most wonderful smell of fresh baking waffle cones. The smell was so powerful, my family and I went in and all bought ice cream cones.

So if you operate an ice cream shop in an area with heavy foot traffic, you should consider making your own waffle cones on site. Then of course while the waffle cones are being made, keep your windows and or doors open so the smell can reach the people walking by. It is a sure fire way to draw customers in to your shop - as smell is one our our most powerful senses and is hard to ignore.

[speeed2001]

100 % agreed. Good smell is very essential for food business.

[kieranb]

Very true, the smell of Ice Cream can be absolutely enticing :p

[ICP]

I was in St. Augustine, Florida a few weeks ago and it happened again. I was completely drawn into a shop based on the aroma filling the streets. The shop was called Kilwin's Chocolate & Ice Cream - and they were baking fresh waffle cones and making chocolate creations right in the middle of the store.

It smelled amazing so all three of us (myself and two friends) went in and bought cones and chocolates totaling $25. Not too shabby for business that was generated solely by smell.

Has anyone ever been to a Kilwin's Chocolate & Ice Cream shop? I think it's a chain ...