Sheepshead Bay Supermarket Fooling You With Artificial Odors

The original smell-peddling peer pressurer.

A Brooklyn supermarket is pumping the smell of tasty foods throughout the store as a way to entice customers into buying more food that we probably don't need. NetCost Market, which has stores in Brooklyn and Staten Island, installed "small, black wall-mounted" machines into its Sheepshead Bay store at 16th st and Gravesend Neck Road that pump out odors of "Smoky Bacon," "Rosemary Focaccia," and "Lindt Chocolate." "Because of the scents, I think fruit sales probably up 7 to 8 percent," a NetCost spokeswoman tells the Post. Heaven help us if these smells someday replace samples.

NetCost began using the technology, provided by Charlotte-based company ScentAir (who counts Coors and Bloomingdales among their clients), in May, and plans to install the machines in all of their locations. A marketing director for ScentAir tells the paper, "You can set the fragrance very low, or you can blast it. It's all according to what the customer wants." One such customer says, "It's subtle, but I definitely smelled the bacon in the meat department." If they wanted the supermarket to smell like bacon, couldn't they just cook a pan of bacon? No word on whether "hamburgers" or "Herald Square Subway" are among the fragrances.

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By Christopher Robbins in Food on July 17, 2011 5:30 PM

Comments [rss]

JMH

Gosh, people will whine about anything. "Waaah, it smells nice in my supermarket!"

Lisanne!

Someone needs a geography lesson. I do realize that Sheepshead Bay is a rustic backwater that Manhattanites do not care to visit. But you will not find an 18th Avenue in Sheepshead Bay. You will, however, find a stinky NetCost Market on East 16th Street and Neck Road. Just get off the Q train at Neck Road station and tun left. Voila, there it is.

They also have a store on 18th Avenue and 86th Street. That neighborhood is called Bensonhurst.

Christopher_Robbins

Thanks for the heads up.

Guest

Wow. I said the same thing about Gothamist having the wrong locations yesterday and they removed my comment. Big time boo at Gothamist.

nicemarmot

Gristedes should clearly implement this technology to cover up the eau de rotting fish that permeates most of their stores.

robingee

We're being TRICKED into buying food in a supermarket!

jibbly

...and the plan would have worked too if it weren't for these meddling Gothamist kids!

Colonel_Ingus

I know a strip club that does the same thing. But the scents are different...

schmeep

Stripper scents like watermelon and strawberry bubble gum? Because that's what the strippers I know smell like. The au naturel odeur isn't really likely to entice anyone inside.

Colonel_Ingus

Whereas the men just reek of desperation.

FU Boy

"You like Shelly, I like Jane,
what was the girl with the snake-skin's name?
It's an early bird matinee,
come back any day,
getcha little something that ya can't get at home."