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An Analysis of Bath and Body Works’ Consumer and Buyer Behavior Introduction Established in 1990, the American personal care and fragrance retailer, Bath and Body Works (BBW) , has grown to be a strong competitor in its industry. Its wide range of scented hand soaps, candles, fragrances, and other personal care items is well received by consumers as they are able to splurge on themselves at a relatively low cost. Since 80% of BB W’s sales are obtained through in -store purchases, consumers are able to experience a multitude of scents that allow them to take a step back from reality. This can be considered a contribution to consumers’ per ception o f BBW as being a supplier of products that provide a sense of comfort and happiness beyond their basic necessities. This paper will discuss how Bath and Body Works uses sensory marketing and provides products that encourage their target market, wealthy midd le-aged women, to engage in hedonic consumption. Research Findings Sensory marketing allows brands to connect with their audience on an emotional level by appealing to their senses in ways that relate to the brand. Specifically, a sensory experience is described as, “an individual’s perception of goods or services or other essentials in a service process as an image that challenge s the human mind and senses” (Roopchund 2020). BBW engages in olfactory sensory marketing as the company provides products with strong scents to appeal to their consumers. Humans’ sense of smell can “trigger certain parts of the brain responsible for creating emotions and memories ,” which is why BBW’s physical stores are enticing (Roopchund 2020). Over the decades, BBW has curated between 400 to 500 unique scents for their luxurious candles, body washes, fragrances, hand soaps, etc. BBW’s diversity in smells is extremely important to its brand strategy as it ensures that there is a scent that appeals to every person fo r every occasion. For example, if someone’s favorite season is Autumn, they may feel comforted after smelling a “Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin” candle from BBW, which can remind them of the fall festivities they engage in every year. Similarly, as many consumers are reluctant to travel due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, a “Waikiki Beach Coconut” body lotion may bring them peace and serenity as they imagine themselves relaxing on a beach. Furthermore, r esearch has shown that pleasant scents can enhance evaluations of products and stores , which results in stronger brand recall. Accord ing to a 2010 study of 151 undergraduate students , subjects were , “given a scented (pine) branded pencil, along with a 10 -point list of its selling points remembered 3.67 points 2 weeks later; however, subjects in the control condition with an unscented pencil could only recall 0.87 attributes ” (Krishna 2012 ). It is evident that the olfactory sensory experience associated with BBW is a significant aspect of the company’s strategy as the company has been able to survive the drastic decrease in in -store shopp ing as a whole due to the rise of e -commerce. This is shown as the average sale s per BBW store worldwide increased from $2.1 billion in 2017 to $2.4 billion in 2019, which is an impressive 15% growth rate (Ridder 2020). It is plausible to assume that the sensory experience provided by Bath and Body Works has greatly contributed to its positive reputation. BBW has cultivated a strong sense of loyalty with its customers as there has been a rise in BBW enthusiasts on social media. For example, on Instagram, a simple search of the hashtags, “#BathandBodyWorks,” “#BABW,” or even, “#candlecommunity,” will reveal posts from dedicated consumers. Although the specific demographics of these users are unknown, a simple analysis of t he users’ pages indicates that an overwhelming majority of these posts are made by middle aged women, which comprise roughly 85% of BBW’s frequent consumers (MRI -Simmons, 2020). Furthermore, on resale platforms, such as Mercari, it is evident that consumers are willing to spend more to obtain their favorite products that may be seasonal or discontinued. For example, “a recent search reveals a "rare" Bath & Body Works holiday three -wick candle priced at $118 ,” which is a significant markup from the $25 retail price ( Vembar 2020 ). Similarly, with Amazon selling some of BBW’s most desired fragrances , customer reviews indicate that BBW’s products are greatly valued by its consumers. For instance, after finding a three -pack of their favorite fragrance mist, “Dark Kiss” on Amazon, a member of BBW’s target segment wr ote, “ I missed it. Sometimes they still sell it online , but it sold out on their site! So , I'm really glad to find it here on Amazon ” ( Vembar 2020 ). Reviews like this indicate that the smells of BBW’s products provide great satisfaction to consumers in the form of comfort, happiness, relaxation, etc. Hedonic consumption is the consumption of goods beyond the basic necessities for the sole purpose of experiencing pleasure or joy. The opposite of hedonic consumption is utilitarian consumption, which is the consumption of the fundamental requirements needed in order to survive such as food, clothing, and medicine. Bath and Body Works’ products are considered hedonic products because objectively, consumers can live a sustainable life without candles that smell like apple pie or body lotion that smells like hibiscus. Although one could argue that BBW’s selection of hand sanitizers and hand soaps are utilitarian products as they facilitate the necessary disinfection of germs, their decorative packaging and elaborate fragrance s implies that they are consumed for the purpose of making the consumer and their environment feel special. In addition, a nalysts have attributed BBW’s continuous success to the company’s focus on seasonality, which plays a significant role in hedonic consumption. For example, a senior anal yst at D.A. Davidson, “ traces the retailer’s success to its constantly changing assortment of candles, shower gels and hand creams … that appeal to preteens on an allowance, as well as 50 - somethings in search of a pick -me -up ” ( Bhattarai 2020 ). BBW constantly changes its products to reflect the season or time of year, which brings great excitement to many consumers (Hensel 2019) . For example, in the winter, BBW provides an assortment of products with scents related to winter, such as “Vanilla Bean Noel ” and “Twisted Peppermint .” This strategy is important as it is one of the main components of BBW that drives consumers back to the company, and it is what differentiates BBW products from other companies. However, it is important to note that there is often a great sense of guilt a ssocia ted with hedonic consumption as, “h edonic goods deliver benefits primarily in the form of experiential enjoyment, which may be more difficult to evaluate and quantify than the practical, functional benefits that utilitarian goods deliver ” ( Okada 2005 ). Consumers’ inability to justify why they bought a non -essential product can eventually lead to a decline in hedonic consumption . For instance, during the Coronavirus pandemic, many consumers could not justify buying hedonic products/services during a global c risis and instead allocated their money towards more practical purchases. This explains the resulting decrease in entertainment purchases by 23% and personal care purchases by 5%, while investment spending increased by 42% (Leonhardt 2020). Therefore, BBW should aim to alter their marketing strategy in a way that inadvertently provides justification for the purchase of their products. The evidence to support the idea that Bath and Body Works is a source of hedonic consumption can be found through an analysis of the r/bathandbodyworks Reddit community.There are approximately 17,000 members in this community who post on a daily basis to share with their peers what they have purchased from BBW. There is evidently a sense of pride and excitement in these posts as consumers show of f their BBW collections, rave about their favorite products, a nd make “Daily Burn” posts where they share what candle scent they are burning that day. Also, comfort is another significant aspec t of hedonic consumption, and it is evident that BBW consumers find comfort in BBW’s scents. For example, one satisfied consumer wrote, “Goin’ for a comforting scent today post 2 nd Covid vaccine. Sweet rosemary vanilla. What are you burning?” ( Xeloux 2021 ). This shows that al though consumers could purchase a less - expensive, average vanilla candle from a grocery store, it may not satisfy their wants to the extent that BBW’s products do. Conclusion/Recommendation Sensory marketing and hedonic consumption are both important aspects of Bath and Body Works’ marketing strategy as they have a significant effect on consumer behavior. It is clear that BBW’s current strategies are effective as it is the , “second most frequently used shower and bath preparation brand among women in the United States” (Ridder 2020). BBW uses olfactory sensory marketing to appeal to their consumers’ emotions through captivating scents , which has evidently contributed to BBW’s success . However, s ince sensory appeal has the ability to , “evoke autobiographical memories, or memories for events that have taken place long ago,” BBW has the opportunity to further enhance their sensory marketing strategy by creat ing a sense of nostalgia with their products (Krishna and Schwarz 2014) . One way BBW can do this is by collaborating with companies, such as Walt Disney, who remind consumers of their childhood. For instance, a collaboration with Walt Disney could consist of princess -themed fragrances and decorations inspired by key aspects of the Disney princess movies. If BBW were to execute this recommendation, they may be able to avoid their consumers potentially becoming bored with the repetitive rotation of seasonal fragrances. By adding a nostalgia factor to their fragrances centered around a popular theme, BBW will also be able to reach a wider audience , such as Disney enthusiasts for this scenario . Regarding hedonic consumption, the sense of guilt that research has shown to be associated with this type of consumption may be deterring consumers from purchasing BBW products. It is recommended that companies combat this sense of guilt by giving their consumers a reason to purchase BBW products beyond their own satisfaction. According to experts, “b undling a hedonic purchase with a promised contribution to charity reduces the sense of guilt and facilitates hedonic purchases ,” which could be a very beneficial strategy for BBW (Okada 2005) . Many companies have adopted this strategy with Toms, for example, donating a pair of shoes to a person in need for every pair purchased from 2006 to 2019. One way BBW can imitate this strategy i s by donating a bottle of hand soap or hand sanitizer to a homeless shelter with every purchase. Th is way, consumers will be able to justify their BBW purchases, and it will allow for more frequent consumption due to the reduced feeling of guilt. Overall, it is evident that Bath and Body Works has built their company around a sensory marketing strategy that satisfies their consumers wants and encourages them to engage in hedonic consumption. However, Bath and Body Works has the ability to create a stronger customer base by creating a sense of nostalgia and ridding their consumers of guilt by partnering with cha rity organizations. References Bhattarai, A. (2020, January 14). Just about every store at the mall is struggling. then there's Bath & body works. Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/13/bath -and -body -works -sales -soar/ Hensel, A. (2019, May 28). How Bath & body works built a strategy to survive as a mall Brand. Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://digiday.com/retail/bath -body -works -built -strategy - survive -mall -brand/ Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22 (3), 332 -351. doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.003 Krishna, A., & Schwarz, N. (2014). Sensory marketing, embodiment, and grounded cognition: A review and introduction. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24 (2), 159 -168. doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2013.12.006 Leonhardt, M. (2020, September 29). 64% of Americans changed their spending habits during The PANDEMIC -HERE'S how. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/americans -have -changed -their -spending -habits -during - the -pandemic -heres -how.html MRI -Simmons. (2020). Bath and Body Works usage study, 6 months [gender , age , household income ] [Data set]. https://smartsystem.mrisimmons.com/UniversityReporter/Question.aspx Okada, E. M. (2005). Justification Effects on Consumer Choice of Hedonic and Utilitarian Goods. Journal of Marketing Research, 42(1), 43 –53. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.42.1.43.56889 Ridder, M. (2020, November 23). Sales per average store of Bath & body works WORLDWIDE, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/255841/sales -per - average -store -of-bath -und -body -works -worldwide/ Roopchund, Randhir. (2016). Analyzing the Impact of Sensory Marketing on Consumers: A Case Study of KFC. Journal of US -China Public Administration. Volume 13. 278 -292. 10.17265/1548 -6591/2016.04.007. Vembar, K. (2020, September 21). The enduring fan base that boosts Bath & body works. Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.retaildive.com/news/the -enduring -fan -base - that -boosts -bath -body -works/585114/ [xeloux]. (2 021 , April 18 ). Goin for a comforting scent today post -2nd -covid -vaccine. Sweet rosemary vanilla. What are you burning? [Online forum post]. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/bathandbodyworks/
