Fabulous Fakes

Adding the illusion of scent and taste to a display enhances the shopping experienceLet's get this straight: when it comes to imitations, there are plain fakes and there are fabulous fakes. The former group are easily identified, because they've been “done to death.” The latter group includes fake fruits and vegetables that are as real looking as fresh produce — and they're ideal for store displays.

Just looking at a fabulous fake lemon or orange tantalizes the taste buds. The scent of apples, peaches, pears, lemons, pineapples, grapefruit, or limes is recalled by a mere glance at faux fruits. Information retention surveys show that a person who only hears information retains about 23 percent. If they hear and see the information, retention jumps to 43 percent, and if the sense of touch is added, the retention rate reaches 80 percent.

Good fakes are also great color spots that can enhance a product group by drawing the eye through the whole display, rather than to just one area. So it's a no-brainer for retailers to add the illusion of scent and taste with fabulous fakes, reinforcing that 80 percent retention rate and enhancing the shopping experience.