87% of Canadians taken back to their school days by a certain smell, study reveals
TORONTO, Aug. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - As children around the country get ready for a new school year, almost 90% of Canadian adults admit that a particular smell - whether it's the scent of chalk, paper or pencils -- takes them back to school - according to a survey by Staples Canada.
"Smells can be incredibly powerful, often invoking nostalgia when you least expect it," said Brian Coupland, Director of Innovation from Staples Canada. "We often have customers tell us they love the smell of our store and part of that is because the smell of school supplies takes us back."
The interactive infographic - The Smells Which Take Us Back to School -- shows smells are the biggest memory triggers among different age groups.
Almost a third (30%) of the 2500 people surveyed said the smell of chalk took them back. Slightly less at 1 in 4 (28%) reminisced over the smell of erasers.
Almost a quarter (23%)of those surveyed said the smell of pencils took them back, 19% cited books , nearly 1 in 5 (18.8%) agreed that cleaning products such as Dustbane triggered memories of school, and more than 1 in 10 (12%) said the smell of paper reminded them of school.
Nearly one in 10 (8%) said cut grass reminded them of their school days, and an equal number were taken back by the smell of foods they associated with the school cafeteria, such as french fries.
The Staples back to school campaign is a part of an ongoing philanthropic commitment to local school children. Last year, Staples raised over $1 million for local schools through their annual supply drive- most of which went toward school supplies and school programs for children in need.
About Staples Canada
Staples, Canada's largest office products company is committed to providing Canadians with a wide choice of office services and products. Serving all types of business - from the small home office to large enterprise - Staples makes it easy for customers to operate their offices efficiently and affordably by offering an extensive selection of office supplies, technology, electronics and office furniture as well as business services, including computer repair and maintenance, and copy and print services. Operating as Bureau en GrosMC in the province of Quebec and Staples Canada in all other provinces, the company employs over 15,000 associates at 330+ stores and at their head office in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Ranked as one of Canada's top ten Canadian companies in Marketing Magazine's Marketing/Leger 2013 Corporate Reputation Survey, Staples/Bureau en Gros is dedicated to offering customers the highest level of service, whether they choose to shop in-store, by catalogue or online. Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros also is invested in a number of corporate giving programs that actively support environmental, educational and entrepreneurial initiatives in Canadian communities from coast to coast. Visit www.staples.ca for more information, or visit us on Facebook and Twitter.
The research was conducted using Google Consumer Surveys for Staples Canada in June 2013. There were 2500 respondents.
SOURCE: Staples Canada Inc.
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Adam Rodricks at [email protected] or on 905.737.1147 ext. 2627
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