Sneaky scents: Fragrances really are pumped into stores to make you buy them

Walking through the first floor of a department store can be a sensory overload. Aside from insane foot traffic, fragrances often smell so strong, you race to the escalator, quickly saying "no thank you" to every sales associate offering a spritz of perfume. Sometimes you can't escape it! Though we've heard rumors about fragrances being blasted through air vents in stores, we never really believed it was true until now.

A company called Prolitec specializes in "ambient scenting," which uses hidden devices to disperse a fragrance throughout the store. Many retailers, such as Bebe, use these five-inch cubes to mist the scent around displays so you smell the perfume without even realizing it.

"I think we're at a point with scent where music was 10 or 15 years ago," says Roger Bensinger, executive vice president of marketing at Prolitec. "Now you wouldn't think of going into a store without hearing music." That's true, but sometimes scents are more overwhelming and offensive than background music. And these hidden cubes are tricky--it's already been proven they boost fragrance sales. Is this a new form of subliminal messaging?

Oh, and if you thought the makeup counters and retail shops were the only places you were being blasted with scents, think again. Prolitec has been hooking up grocery stores with the scent of fresh bread to increase hunger. How sneaky is that?! We've always noticed that you can't come within 10 feet of a Subway sandwich shop without smelling their bread--now we're suspicious!

What do you think of this hidden fragrance technique? [WWD]