Amazon sniffs round ‘smell before you buy’

AMAZON customers could soon be using scratch and sniff “smell-o-vision” technology to shop for goods.

The US technology giant has been investigating ways to enable customers to go on virtual shopping trips from their homes, with the smell of items such as fudge and perfumes sold at market stalls a key part of the experience.

An Amazon patent filing in the US describes a way for employees to be kitted out with cameras and sent to craft markets around the world. People following along at home, either by watching a video on their smartphone or through a virtual-reality headset, could purchase trays of goods sold at the market, with the samples kept in boxes.

When the real-world traveller reaches a fudge stall, for example, they could instruct shoppers watching at home to open a box on their tray to enjoy a sample of the fudge or to scratch a panel to experience its smell.

The method could be a way for shopping trips to continue amid Covid travel restrictions or could be used to help disabled or hospitalised people shop in the supermarket without having to visit the store, Amazon suggested.

If the service is launched, it could be a way for the company to convince market traders to sell their goods through its website.