Dille

& Kamille as a Sensory Shop

Evelina Kondratovič, Quang Minh Vū, Wouter Mariën, Johanna
Ascanio








Sensory Marketing
Consumer Behaviour – UCLL
Mrs. Inge Verstraete


December 2022
 Sensory Marketing 2

Contents

Introduction 3
Sensory Marketing: The Five Senses
1. Sight 5
2. Hearing 7
3. Touch 10
4. Smell 12
5. Taste 14
Conclusions 15
Additional Figures 16
Bibliography 18
Personal Report 19

 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 3

Introduction

During the last decades, the sense-based marketing has been an essential tool applied by
marketers to help businesses from every industry captivate customers’ five senses in order to
enhance the perception of the brand’s identity and reinforce its attributes.

Unlike conventional manners of advertising, sensory marketing seeks to generate a closer
and emotional relationship between a brand and consumers by arousing two or more of their
senses, most of the time when they are not consciously aware of the stimuli. Communicating
the brand’s personality is the main objective, performing strategies by stimulating
psychological factors such as perceptions, learnings and memories to finally have an impact
on their buying decisions, desires, attitudes, and behaviours.

Nowadays, due to the increase of demanding buyers, body sensations play a beneficial role
to influence consumers’ emotions positively, being an opportunity for companies to
differentiate themselves from each other and go beyond the traditional forms of marketing
that were limited to the senses of sight and hearing, not only by leveraging customers but
also creating a more representative commercial environment.

Sensory marketing is also applied to boost merchandise profitability and guarantee product
succes for a long term by including sensory stimuli to create the right shopping atmosphere,
generating a value of loyalty by the buyer that will increase the probability of future
purchases.

Each of the five senses —sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste— manifested to a moderate
or high degree of sensory stimulation will communicate more and might cause a better
experience. Nevertheless, the extent of how much a stimulus may be executed also depends
on the essence of every kind of product. The accumulation of adequate sensory impacts
ameliorates the consumer’s psychological reactions to define a profitable perception of a
store, facilitating the attribution and realisation as a response from stimuli.

Dille & Kamille is a Dutch retail chain founded in 1974 in Utrecht by the lawyer Freek
Kamerling. The brand sells items for cooking, creative leisure, gardening, home decoration
and maintenance, hygiene and beauty as well as books, food and small furniture. Most of its
products has been made of ecological, recycled, recyclable and natural materials. Since the
beginning, the founder had a clear vision of pursuing sustainability in opposition to other
retailers during the 70s, when ecological issues became relevant to societies. His first shop
displayed glass, pottery, wood, and enamel products completely excluding plastic pieces,
 Sensory Marketing 4

which was intentional to promote sustainability. This ideology remained notably until
the very present day.

As Dille & Kamille is well-known for offering a very broad range of home products —from
small items such as scents, cutlery, seeds, and food products to plants, blankets, pillows,
baskets, etcetera—, we have decided to work with this unique and outstanding shop where
we have got to simulate the five of our senses in order to make a complete analysis of how
the principles of sensory marketing were successfully presented during our visit.

 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 5

Sensory Marketing: The Five Senses

1. Sight

Sight is the most dominant sense (Schiffman, 1990) where
the customers depend on the visible and tangible cues that
attract and draw attention (Ward et al., 1992). Logos,
colours, lighting, packaging, and other visual cues are
examples of visual stimuli. Therefore, they are crucial to
branding and can help a brand stand out and increase sales.

To begin with, Dille & Kamille, cleverly uses visual stimuli
to their advantage. Their logo, even though simple,
represents the brand well. Framed in black and white lines, Figure 1. Dille & Kamille's logo.
the name Dille & Kamille stands out perfectly in bold, elegant letters (figure 1). The store's
logo is prominently displayed on a double-sided signboard at the front of the building, giving
off a friendly, minimalistic impression to anyone who sees it.

Moving on, the brand is distinctive due to its inventive utilization of outdoor décor and
space. Passers-by are quickly drawn in by the roof's black, white, and striped pattern. Also, it
has a natural and organic feeling thanks to the plants and other products that are displayed
beneath it and around the storefront windows. We can see inside the shop, which appears to
be warmly illuminated and inviting, thanks to the wide windows behind the merchandise and
decorations (figure 2).

Moreover, as soon as a customer steps
through the door, they land on a simple
black welcome mat. A trivial detail that
creates a soft first impression. Not only
that but they are also greeted by a
variety of organic, nature-inspired
materials and textures, warm light, and
colours. Lighting plays a significant role
in creating the store environment
(Summers and Hebert, 2001). They also
claim that while bright light may tempt
shoppers to study and touch the
products more, good lighting attracts
attention. Inside Dille & Kamille lighting Figure 2. Outside the shop.
 Sensory Marketing 6

is directed at the merchandise; a bulb is located above each shelf, brightly

illuminating the goods on exhibit, whereas the aisles are only dimly lit and do not
draw attention (figure 3). Soft lighting is known to create the
feeling of intimacy, calmness, and luxury, which is exactly
what consumers feel while inside the store.

However, the store's whole ceiling is covered with large
metal luminaires, leaving the light fixtures on the ceiling
exposed (figure 4). They capture a significant amount of
attention and are in stark contrast to the store's aesthetic.
These lights are the primary source of illumination in Dille &
Kamille, except for the odd skylight; nevertheless, if they
were more subdued, the ambiance of the store would be
better.

Additionally, according to Hultén et al. (2009), colour is
important to the sight experience and connects to a range
of emotions. The colours of the store are kept natural: the
white walls provide the impression of simplicity, the brown
Figure 3. Lamp above candles section. hardwood floor gives the store a cosier appearance, and the
wooden shelves are stacked high with goods of all hues. According to Bert, the manager of
Dille & Kamille, these neutral tones and surroundings were not by chance: “Extremely light
materials make the products stand out better and make people feel at ease. Nothing too
'loud', no bright neon lighting. The whole interior is soft and 'natural'. Nothing or as little as
possible electric or with batteries”. We can plainly observe how this tactic affects customers
since they appear at ease and leisurely stroll around the store, pausing occasionally to admire
the goods on display (figure 6).

Simple wooden plaques with the names of several sections were hung to aid consumers in
navigating the store. They provide some information regarding the contents of the shelves
below them with titles like ‘Voeding’ and ‘Koken’ (figure 5).
Some even provide images of the items in use, simple
descriptions, or examples. Customers benefit from a higher
sense of affinity for the items and the brand. They also force
customers to look at the product instead of at the ceiling,
which is not aesthetically pleasant. Additionally, these
explanations are visible from the front entrance, which
helps clients who are in a rush or who are already aware of
what they are searching for.

Finally, the consumer will walk through every section of
Dille & Kamille as they navigate the paths until reaching the
front of the check-out counter. For consumers to pay their
bills, there is a large countertop with several registers. Small
decorations for sale, as well as various reusable bags and
packaging, are scattered throughout the area. Customers
Figure 4. Ceiling of the shop with luminaires
and a skylight.
 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 7

may choose to have their purchases packaged
and sold in either paper or reusable bags, both
of which prominently display the brand.

Figure 5. Sign 'Koken' (meaning 'Kitchen') for

the kitchen section.

Figure 6. General environment of the shop.

2. Hearing

The sense of sound can revealingly influence the shopping behaviour of every consumer.
Sounds play a fundamental role upon promoting a product or complementing the
environment of a store to set the right ambiance and, therefore, generate a sensible stimulus
targeting the possible client’s intention to purchase items. Usual sounds at a store can
illustrate the quality, order, style, and even status that the brand represents; and, along with
other sensory stimuli, make the consumer identify the typical characteristics of the shop,
influencing its image towards the public.

Essential audio elements, such as background music, will always be to enhance the shopping
experience of the consumer, making their time delightful and persuading to stay longer at the
 Sensory Marketing 8

retailer place, when the sounds of products and the playing music go along together.
Nevertheless, the genre of the background music firmly affects the perception and
preferences, although these heartily vary across individuals. In this context, Deborah
Macinnis and C. Whan Park have defined that it is very significant for a shop to identify what
type of music and other aural characteristics would match the brand’s identity and the
consumer’s subjective observation of the sounds’ appropriateness that will benefit both sides
and increase the persuasion level towards the public (1991). Besides subjective perceptions
based on music taste, the customer age and type have relevant differences regarding
consumer behaviour. Thus, the background music’s condition varies on each group’s average
mentality as well.

In this case, evaluating the characteristics of Dille & Kamille —a very sensible store—, the
music was a fundamental property to define the brand’s signature. The store presented only
classical music with a very low volume, generating a peaceful and calm environment, leading
the customer to maintain silence and tranquillity most of the time. Michael Stone has
discussed the relationship between classical music and formality, sophistication and high-
class communities (1983). As a result, the store was perceived as a very refined place with a
fixed and delicate style that matched the product organisation and favoured the flower and
fragrance smells. Therefore, the sophisticated music may transmit an upper-class atmosphere
resulting persuasive, insinuating that the merchandise is regarded as more expensive than
other similar home retailers’ and that only costly items should be purchased (Markis, Lillis,
Narayana, 1976). Because of this, clients might feel little pressure to follow the framework
that the music implied. In addition, as classical music is often linked to older times, elegance
and other factors that these aesthetic principles invoke, the music enhanced the visual
perception of the store, mostly attracting elderly people as well as young women likely to be
mothers.

` Figure 7. Dille & Kamille's main playlist on Spotify.

On the Dille & Kamille’s Spotify profile, with 4 public playlists, a 4,147 followers playlist called
“De Favorieten van Dille & Kamille” (meaning “The Favourites of Dille & Kamille”) contains 68
songs being 7 hours and 53 minutes in total of classical music exclusively by prolific and
influential artists such as Wolfgang Mozart, Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven, and
Joseph Haydn (figure 7). Another playlist, called “Kerst bij Dille & Kamille” (meaning
 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 9

“Christmas at Dille & Kamille”) includes music
by the herein mentioned both Haydn and
Mozart artists as well as other important
musicians such as Johann Bach, Adolphe Adam, Hector
Berlioz, George Handel, and other Christmas music
bands such as The O’Neill Brothers Group. As has been
demonstrated, Dille & Kamille also seeks to accustom
its stores during Christmas times with the essential
touch of characteristic music that goes along with
special decorations influencing the customer’s
perception of the brand during this season, especially
as Christmas strongly impacts the markets generating a
positive commercial outcome.

Furthermore, due to the low music volume, one was
able to hear the onomatopoeias around —which are
sounds of products having physical contact with one
another— such as clatters, clinks, splashes, etcetera Figure 8. Small products very likely to produce
(figures 8 and 9). Hence, people tended to be careful onomatopoeias.
with their touch to keep the noiseless ambiance that
was intended.

In conclusion, the classical music automatically implied that the behaviour to preserve at the
store must be gentle, soft, and serene in order to follow the signature’s brand as a customer.
It also made the public to consider their purchases as high-quality and unique products as a
result, due to the style that all the sounds, along with sight and smell elements, brought to
the atmosphere of Dille & Kamille.

Figure 9. Dining table displayed as exemplar with kitchen and textile

products very likely to cause onomatopoeias.
 Sensory Marketing 10

3. Touch

According to Martin Lindstrom, for consumers to continually evaluate products, vision and
smell are not sufficient. They are unsuitable to influence a customer's decision to buy a
product, therefore, the skin can function as the last alternative sense if all other senses fail.

Many experts agree that touch is one of the
most significant senses. “A touch experience
can add positively to the perception of a
product in situations” - (Bertil Hultén, Niklas
Broweus & Marcus van Dijk, 2009). Touch
enables us to experience things while we are
unable to hear or see them. By encouraging
consumers to touch every product, Dille &
Kamille Leuven really knows how to capture
the touch sense of the customer. All items in
the store are easily accessible, at eye level,
and available for customers to touch,
including the cutlery, bowls, spices, and an
exemplary bowl of rice on one of the kitchen
tables (figure 10). “The simplest details, like
the product's substance, can have a big
impact on a customer's choice” (Lindström, Figure 10. Exemplar of the dining table with risotto.
M. 2005). Since most of the things offered at Dille & Kamille are made of materials like
ceramic, glass, or wood, which are more comfortable to touch than other materials since they
feel nice in the customer's hand. The absence of plastic also gives buyers a more
environmentally conscious feeling.

Because Dille & Kamille offers a range of tableware alternatives, everyone may find
something they like, customers may even design their own dish collections, which results in
authentic experiences and creates brand loyalty (figure 10).

Moving on to the food corner, free sample
tea stand and coffee maker that are situated
in the store's far centre. Customers may
sample Dille & Kamille's goods before
deciding whether to buy them, which builds
consumer confidence in the brand (figures 11
and 12).

One of the amenities that draw customers
into Dille & Kamille for a while is the huge air
conditioner in the middle of the store. This
helps them feel warm and cosy in frigid
Figure 11. Kitchen as exemplar offering sample tea and conditions, even if it may not be perfect for
displaying other kitchen and products. the shop's aesthetic. Imagine being outside in
 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 11

the chilly weather, then entering a store
where everything is warmer and soothing
music is playing; you will not want to go
outside any longer.

As Grohmann (2007) pointed out “It is beneficial
for retailers to let buyers touch their goods”. The
materials of some items, such as glass, crystal, or
paper, may make them more prone to damage,
breakage, and aging, which might be the reason
other businesses forbid customers from handling
their products. You'll see that Dille & Kamille's
perspective and arrangement are quite different
and neater when you contrast it with that of its
rivals, Hema and Solow. Here, products are divided
into a variety of categories, such as kitchenware,
outdoor furniture, and bathroom accessories.
Additionally, employees regularly clean and
organize everything to make it simpler for
customers to access the goods. Two of the Figure 12. Coffee machine available to try in front
remaining stores are rather disorganized, which of the teas.
deters people from making purchases.

Figure 13. "Woon- en Tafeltextiel" (meaning "Living and

table textiles") section displaying textile products without
packaging very easy to feel their textures.
 Sensory Marketing 12

4. Smell

“People are able to recognize approximately
10,000 different odours and are able to recall smells
with 65% accuracy after a year, in contrast to only
50% of visuals after three months” (brandminds,
2017). This illustrates how the smell of something
makes buying more enjoyable. Smells are easier to
recall than visuals, even over a longer period, which
highlights the importance of scent in raising brand
recognition and customer satisfaction.

The smell is the sensation that stands out the most
at Dille & Kamille. Thanks to the flowers at the
entrance, the fragrance is the first thing you notice
as soon as you walk into the store. Customers who
find themselves wandering too far from the door
will see another bouquet coming up someplace in
the rear since they are dispersed throughout the
whole store (figure 14). According to an article on
Figure 14. Plant section right beside the entrance
scentcommunication.com, fragrance is crucial since displaying flowers and other gardening products.
it enhances the likelihood that a brand will be
positively evaluated and assists with brand
identification as well as helps customers form a
connection with it. Customers may feel it when they
smell the same identical scent somewhere and it
reminds them of a certain business they visited. If
someone recommends the business or brand to
others, this might eventually result in free publicity.
Dille & Kamille also use the inventive and
interesting approach of fusing fragrances with
store-bought products. They may, for example,
place coffee beans next to the coffee maker to
tempt consumers to buy a coffee after smelling it
(figure 15). The coffee beans on the shelves in other
areas of the store were the same ones, indicating
that they had been relocated on purpose to attract
more attention. There were also other testers
present, such as tea (figure 16). Furthermore, they
provided testers for products like soap, laundry Figure 15. Coffeemaker of the shop available to try.
detergent, and natural hand sanitizers. In essence, testing was possible with practically every
item sold in Dille & Kamille (figure 17). Businesses must also be certain that the smell they
 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 13

select matches them since a distinctive fragrance could help them stand out from
competing establishments. A floral smell in the store during the winter isn't precisely
the ideal match, thus the scent should be adjusted to
the season. Pine needles or cinnamon might be more
appropriate scents for the time we are currently in. Due
to the pleasant aromas, this is not only appropriate for
the season but will also boost sales. MarketWatch
(2014) claims that consumers spend more money when
they are among "warm aromas," such as cinnamon or
vanilla, as opposed to "cool odours," such as
peppermint.

The atmosphere and overall shopping experience are
greatly influenced by the aroma within Dille & Kamille.
It smells like a springtime picnic in a flower meadow. All
the goods they offer have a fragrance, except for the
kitchen appliances and the silverware. This contributes
to the mood of their consumers and may perhaps be
the reason the brand chooses to offer these goods.

Figure 16. Tea samples with the post saying "proef

mij!" (meaning "taste me!”).

Figure 17. Sprays displayed with a tester at the

bathroom section.
 Sensory Marketing 14

5. Taste

The taste sense is one of the most distinctly emotional senses” (Sensory brand).
Nevertheless, taste is perhaps the most difficult sense to include into marketing because of
how differently people perceive what tastes good. Samples of meals and beverages are "the
most popular sort of taste marketing", according to Megan of Brandastic. Imagine walking
into a coffee shop and being welcomed by the mouth-watering aromas of freshly baked
goodies, perhaps someone offers you a sample that is just delicious. According to the 2015
Consumer Survey Report by EventTrack, 80% of consumers said they were more likely to buy
something after using it at an event. To be more precise, a
consumer's first taste of a product will help them have a
thorough grasp of the food or beverage item. Since by only
using the taste sense Dillie & Kamille would have a hard
time attracting customers, they made a point of utilizing
this. There are two sites where customers may use the tea
and coffee products for free, as was already mentioned. As
can be seen, the store doesn't have a lot of space, but they
nevertheless try to make a place for this section; as a result,
this is seen as a very significant attempt to include taste in
the business's sensory marketing.

There is a machine at the coffee section that grinds hot
coffee, and candles are always burning at the tea counter to
keep the tea hot. As Martin Lindstrom put it, "Taste without
scent is practically impossible," since it enhances the
Figure 18. Countertop displaying the flavours of the products as well. The perceived taste
coffeemaker along with cutlery and other experience is diminished by up to 80% if we cannot smell
food products.
the food, according to brand sense. Yes, there is a significant
correlation between scent and flavour. When a client walks
inside Dillie & Kamille, they can immediately smell the
coffee and tea. Thus, according to shop observations,
almost 30% of clients use the samples provided at the free
tea and coffee stand. Although this amount might not seem
like much, it has a big impact on the buyer's decision.

Figure 19. Coffeemaker making some

coffee.
 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 15

Conclusion

The sensory marketing strategies by Dille & Kamille have been perfectly implemented at
every of its product sections, making our visit a unique experience and increasing our wish to
purchase any of its items. Dille & Kamille has easily communicated its identity and history
through the essence of their products, which differentiates the brand from other similar
shops in Leuven, generating a loyal connection with customers. Its sustainable products,
variety and aesthetics have however defined their style, making the brand unique and
broader than retailers like Hema and Flying Tiger, and therefore more complete. Despite its
prices, the general perception of the shop is quite favourable due to the opportunity the
consumer has of tasting and feeling any of its products —except for comestibles—, resulting
in a very empirical shopping experience. As has been demonstrating, Dille & Kamille is a
successful retailer in generating an outstanding and propitious commercial environment that
will revealingly increase sales.

Figure 20. Our team, Johanna, Wouter, Evelina, and Minh (from left to right) visiting
Dille & Kamille located at the Ladeuzeplein in Leuven.
 Sensory Marketing 16

Additional Figures

Figure 21. Comestibles and crockery at the Figure 22. Gardening products placed outside

kitchen section. the shop.

Figure 23. Gardening section placed beside the Figure 24. View of the shop from the back.
entrance.
 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 17

Figure 25. 'Voeding' (meaning 'Groceries') and

Figure 26. Ceiling displayers.
'Koffie' (meaning "Coffee") sections displaying
comestibles.

Figure 27. Drawer at the tea section displaying some tea

essences.

Figure 25. 'Speelgoed' (meaning 'Toys') and 'Schrijven &

Tekenen' (meaning 'Writing and Drawing') sections.
 Sensory Marketing 18

Bibliography

• MacInnis, Deborah J. and C. Whan Park (1991). "The Differential Role of Characteristics
of Music on High- and Low-Involvement Consumers' Processing of Ads," Journal of
Consumer Research, 18, 161-173.
• Stone, Michael (1983). "Some Antecedents of Music Appreciation," Psychology of
Music, 11, 26-31.
• Dille & Kamille (2016). “De Favorieten van Dille & Kamille”, “Kerst bij Dille & Kamille”,
Spotify playlists.
• Markin, Rom J., Charles M. Lillis, and Chem L. Narayana (1976), "Social-Psychological
Significance of Store Space," Journal of Retailing, 52, 43-54.
• Tobias Otterbring, T.O, Roopali Bhatnagarc, R.B (2022). Food Quality and Preference.
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• Bertil Hultén, Niklas Broweus and Marcus Van Dijk (2009). Sensory Marketing.
Basingstoke ; New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Lindström, M. (2005). Brand sense: how to build powerful brands through touch, taste,
smell, sight & sound. New York: Kogan Page.
• Sensory Marketing by Anıl Değermen Erenkol & Merve AK, June 2015, Vol. 3, No. 1,
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• Sensory Marketing Strategies and Consumer Behavior: Sensible Selling Using All Five
Senses by Hussain, Sharafat, 2019/10/01
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on the evaluation of retail product offerings. Journal of Retailing, 83(2), pp.237–245.
doi:10.1016/j.jretai.2006.09.001.
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 Dille & Kamille as a Sensory Shop 19

Individual Report

Dille & Kamille has been successfully able to apply the principles of sensory marketing on
most of the products in its shopping environment. The shop was joyful from the moment we
enter until we left. Every spot of every section was harmoniously decorated and organised
with the right displayed items matching the colours and materials. The delightful music went
along with the shop’s scent, inducing us to keep browsing around and try and feel the items
that caught our attention including trying splashes, opening books, trying tea and coffee,
observing the table’s decorations, etcetera. Upon entering the shop, my automatic feeling
was the wish of being a mom, due to all the beautifully designed objects that would match
perfectly with my home tastes. That is why it is one of my favourite retailers in Belgium, which
I suggested to work about. Thus, I really considered the shop accomplished with every sight
and hearing stimuli for their commercial atmosphere.
What I would improve is about the taste sense. The shop should offer the consumers to try
some groceries that can remain opened, especially the granola as its taste may vary on
different signatures due to the large quantity of ingredients. Besides that, there should be
some seller disposing back some clean mugs for tea as there were only a few left when we
were at the shop.
I quite enjoyed this assignment as we visited my preferred shop and explored every product.
Writing this essay (or report) and designing the layout was pleasant to do together with my
teammates collaborating with each other.
In conclusion, I found the shop quite organised with the right posts and lightning to guide
the consumers towards every section at the shop. Thus, I have not anything else to add to my
personal report as I loved Dille & Kamille in every aspect.