The sound of Genelec appeals to the senses in K-Hertta supermarkets

This well-known Finnish grocery chain has improved the shopping experience of its customers with sensory marketing, becoming one of the first to have the installation speakers Genelec 4000 as a sound system.

There are not too many supermarkets in the world that can boast of having installed speakers of the Finnish firm Genelec, but K-Supermarket Hertta, located in Helsinki (Finland), clearly not an average chain establishment.

Belonging to the Group K, the second largest grocery trading operator in Finland and one of the largest in Northern Europe, K-Supermarket operates a 250 shops, where you offer customers a high-level experience, with a carefully selected range of local products and specialties.

Markus Ranne, Store Manager at K-Supermarket Hertta, decided to further improve the experience with the use of sensory marketing: a combination of aroma and sound design to attract customers and encourage them to stay, for which you have counted on the specialist Sevende Aromas, based in Helsinki, that specified the installation speakers for the series 4000 by Genelec.

"Sounds can affect people's comfort and buying behavior," explains the founder and CEO of Sevende Aromas., Eero Niskanen– in most commercial spaces and environments, as supermarkets, Hotels, bureaux, bars and restaurants. The sense of hearing is the third most dominant".

According to this manager, "Studies have shown that the right kind of sound environment can increase sales in up to a 30% and also has a positive effect on employees' work efficiency. When it comes to fragrance design, research indicates that customers stay up to a 40% more on site. That's why, K-Supermarket Hertta wanted to incorporate both elements as part of its business strategy.".

The Sound Designer Aki Päivärinne stresses that the approach was to create a relaxed and immersive sound space for the newly renovated fresh fruit and vegetable section., and a stereophonic sound for the candy department.

"This was an inspiring task., as he had also created the previous monophonic sound design for the store., including the beer and beverage department, remember.. In my work I use a variety of programs, including electroacoustic modeling software. As the configuration of the speakers in the fruit and vegetable department is not symmetrical, I designed a model of the space within the software to calculate the delay times needed to obtain realistic 3D sound images".

The configuration consists of twelve Genelec speakers 4030, evenly spaced over refrigerator elements or suspended from the ceiling, while eight compact equipment model 4020 are located in the drinks section, and four others are deployed in the candy.

The sound system is complemented by eight fragrance machines strategically located to deliver the scent experience. The control is done with a processor Q-SYS Core 110f of QSC, with a touchscreen interface to manage the level in the different zones.

"To develop the soundscape for the fruit and vegetable area I imagined a kind of surreal and colorful fruit world," Päivärinne continues.. I started listening to the lush forests, distant animals, changing weather patterns, the light and the sea and the harmonic clouds on high, creating a relaxing and safe feeling. After the first listen I made some small adjustments to the dynamics of the material that now sounds fantastic.".

The choice of Genelec speakers was clear to this expert: "I've worked with them on various projects over the last ten years and have always enjoyed using them.. The series 4000 offered a reliable, high-quality solution to create an immersive soundscape".

In combination with the aroma design provided by Sevende Aromas, also responsible for system integration, the result has had an impact on sales, as evidenced by a recent study by the University of Helsinki.

The study compared the results of sensory marketing with those of a supermarket of similar size using traditional techniques.. The establishment that used sensory marketing was more successful in all aspects and customer satisfaction levels were considerably higher.".

The impact of sensory marketing isn't just measured by an immediate increase in sales. Positive perceptions of where to buy help build a lasting and loyal relationship with the customer in the long term. It's natural to do business in nice places and it's been proven time and time again that combining a fragrance with the right sound has a positive impact on customer satisfaction..

"We use quality scents and work with a talented sound designer to create an engaging soundscape," says Niskanen., that uses a combination of natural sounds and musical elements. To be truly immersive it is important that it sounds realistic; that's why we opted for a high-quality audio solution based on Genelec speakers, that offer a detailed and transparent sound even at low levels".

Other articles on Aki Päivärinne, Genelec, Group K, K-Supermarket Hertta, QSC, Sevende Aromas, University of Helsinki