But does it smell like a bike shop?
Not many people wander through bike shops looking for an olfactory treat, but GUIDO has, all in the name of research…
It was an afternoon of contrasts. I’d just been up the road ordering some bits for Mac the Valk and went for a wander through Redwing’s new showroom. Times are good and the company has decided to splurge out and double its floor space with a dedicated accessories shop. When completed, it will look like a lot of new shops – very modern retail design that’s intended to feel user-friendly while showing off a broad range of kit to the best possible advantage. The fittings are all new, with subtle lighting, there are big-screen TVs in house to keep people amused while they’re waiting, and, all up, it wouldn’t look out of place in any high-end retail environment. Welcome to the modern motorcycle industry.
Half an hour later I was at the front counter of Union Jack Motorcycles, which is closing its doors as a retail outlet and switching over to doing much of its business by mail order. I’d spotted a book of classic road tests during an earlier visit and had decided to grab it.
The shop is typical ye olde bike store -- a counter (or barricade?) between the punter and the hapless sales person, with an odd assortment of gear hanging off the walls, then a door leading to the workshop, which is in clear view, and resembles a mechanical cavern. You half expect some mythical monster, in overalls, to shuffle out, make strange noises, and wander back into its cave.
Owner Phil Pilgrim was mulling over the contrast between his shop and some of the more flash jobs – something he was well aware of. Talking of his customers, he commented wryly, “I’m not sure they’ll miss me, but some of them will miss the old style shop.
“One bloke told me it reminded him of what shops were like when he was a kid – you could smell the oil and grease from the workshop. He reckoned he was going to come in and get some photos.”
These days, a new shop is more likely to smell of freshly-ground coffee than it is of oil. Though it begs the question whether anyone will ever come out with a motorcycle-specific air-freshener. Eu de Castrol R perhaps? Essence of Burnout, perchance? Parfum Sweaty Leathers for Madam?
Of course this is not the first time that the subject of sensory stimuli and shopping has been explored. According to a 2005 Washington Post article, “Researchers have known for years that external stimuli can subconsciously affect
how eager we are to buy, and our emotions can be enhanced or suppressed by our
surroundings. The impact of background music on shoppers is well documented:
Loud rock music, for example, seems to encourage quick decisions and impulse
buys while softer sounds keep people in the store longer. Lighting, too, can
affect buyers’ moods by making them feel better—or worse—about the shopping
environment.”
And yes, smell has been studied. As you know doubt read in the Journal of Business Research, citrus is highly recommended by one recent report, with the proviso that the shop needs to be reasonably busy for it to work. Apparently crowds have their own smell and that’s part of the required mix before someone feels compelled to flash their credit card and demand a Wide Glide.
As I’ve very rarely made a decision to buy a motorcycle in the actual shop, I’m stuffed if I know what works. Usually the bright idea takes hold late at night after one too many clarets – so maybe the retailers should ditch the scent dispensers and install a bar.
Some day we might get to see virtual reality technology moving in, where you get to take the bike for a ‘ride’ without leaving the showroom or perhaps even your own home. That’s a thought – wearing a set of VR goggles while they squirt the scents appropriate to the scenery across your snout. Shall we track test the new toy? Loading the software for a ‘lap’ of Phillip Island will be no problem, but what exactly does fear smell like?
Maybe Pilgrim had it right after all. A hint of oil and grease from the workshop will do…
You’re always welcome to get in touch via the palatial MT offices at locked bag 12, Oakleigh 3166, or on the wire at guy.allen@traderclassifieds.com.au.
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