Here at The Healthy Mind, we do our best to provide important information for your overall health and well-being. But every so often, we even try to save you some money! The results of a recently-published, ”subliminal research” study may help you to keep a few extra shopping dollars in your wallet this holiday season.

Scientists and business people have known for decades that certain scents—pine boughs at Christmas, baked cookies in a house for sale—can get customers in the buying spirit. Dr. Eric Spangenberg, a pioneer in the field and dean of the Washington State University College of Business, has been homing in on just what makes the most commercially inspiring odor.

Spangenberg and colleagues at WSU and in Switzerland recently found that a simple scent works best. Researchers exposed hundreds of Swiss shoppers to simple and complex scents. Cash register receipts and in-store interviews revealed a significant bump in sales when the uncomplicated scent was in the air.

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Photo Courtesy of Flickr.com, username: Andrew_B