Scent and flavor diffusion company Sniffy Technology has partnered with Paris’ public transportation agency RATP Travel Retail to open a digital sampling boutique in train station Châtelet – Les Halles in the French capital.
The boutique, called Sensory Club, is equipped with Sniffy devices that let consumers sample scents across product categories, including fragrance, cosmetics, wine, spirits and food. The shop windows feature digital screens, where brands can advertise products and entice travelers into the boutique.
The Sniffy tablets are touchscreens that allows consumers to browse through brands’ products. Consumers then choose a product and press the “Scent” button to sample it. A machine next to the touchscreen diffuses the scent on a blotter. The tablets are also equipped with a camera to record the consumer’s reaction to the scent, which allows brands to gather consumer data. The brands’ physical products are also displayed on the walls.
Consumers can purchase products via the tablets. After sampling they are redirected to the brand’s website through a “Buy” button. Sniffy also plans to launch an online marketplace in September.
Products are also available to purchase in the boutique itself.
Brands currently available in Sensory Club include fragrance brand July of St Barth, beauty brand Naturaverde and skincare and body care brand Pin Up Secret. The company is also in talks with masstige fragrance brands.
Another Sniffy machine allows consumers to test and understand their sense of smell and relate possible loss of smell that could be connected to COVID-19.
The space aims to create a cozy atmosphere: It features seating and consumers can have a coffee using a self-service machine thanks to a partnership with French coffee brand Cafés Maurice.
The boutique is open until October. The Châtelet – Les Halles station is used by between 100,000 and 200,000 commuters every day.