The new Supermarket near our house has an automatic water mister to keep the produce fresh.
Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of a thunderstorm and the smell of fresh rain.
When you approach the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and witness the scent of fresh butter fat.
When you approach the egg case, you hear hens cackle and the air is filled with the pleasing aroma of eggs frying.
So far, I haven’t worked up enough nerve to go down the toilet paper aisle.
The whole idea is incredibly retarded, IMHO. If it’s audio cues to assist blind shoppers, I think a recorded voice saying “Dairy Products” or some such would be more helpful, and more dignified. If the management just think mooing cows and cackling hens are cute, well, they’re awfully easily amused.
Do they have a churning washing machine noise in the detergent aisle? Snapping gum in the candy aisle? Screaming babies at the diaper display? Mariachi music where the Spanish food is stocked? The mind reels.
Some kind of sound effects with the mister, though, make a bit of sense; they give you a warning the thing is coming on, so you can back up and avoid getting sprayed. And, I suppose mooing cows are an improvement over crappy music. (I’m hoping the sound effects are instead of music, not in addition to.)
They do the thunder sound effect in the produce section at the Safeway where I shop, and as ryobserver said, I figured it was a warning that the mister was about to come on.
That’s the only sound effect I’ve ever heard there.
The Royal Farm store (convenience store like a 7-11) does the cow mooing thing for the dairy case. It’s not nearly as endearing as the thunder.