You think: “Wow, I’m starving -- maybe I’ll pick up some bread.”

In reality: You just passed the in-store bakery located near the entrance.

Whether you shop at Walmart, Whole Foods or somewhere in-between, the in-store bakery usually sits just inside the front door. It’s no coincidence. Shoppers who smell fresh-baked bread and pastries on their way into the store tend to feel hungrier while shopping, which makes them buy more.

And it doesn’t have to pack Auntie Anne’s level of pretzel power to affect your buying habits. Even a subtle, unrecognized scent can change your buying behavior, says Donna Sturgess, president of neuromarketing firm Buyology Inc. This applies to less savory scents, as well. Buyology found that the scent of fresh-cut grass in a hardware store caused consumers to believe the service level increased by 49%. Because we associate hard work and toughness with the outdoors, customers also ascribed those traits to store employees.